The Magic of Love
by Katrina Littlebird
Summary: (Complete.) After a DeathEater attack during Harry's wedding, Hermione wakes up as her 15-year-old self in a world where she is a Ravenclaw and Harry is a Slytherin, part of a dark plot neither knows. *H/Hr*
1. Where Am I

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Harry Potter series, its characters, spells, etc. Anything you recognize from the book belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own only the plot and my devilish mind.

**A/N:** My first H/Hr romance! I hope it's not going to turn out too horrible. I'm having a block for _To Remember A Past Life_ and am thinking about discontinuing it, so I got the idea for this one and am going to try to get this story straight. I believe there will be typos and stupid mistakes, because I usually beta it myself but am currently too laden with homework to do so. Do point the mistakes out should you see it! Well, what are you waiting for? Go read and enjoy, please.

**THE MAGIC OF LOVE**

_By: Katrina_

**ONE**

_~The beauty of life is to have someone to love~_

****

_W__hy am I here?_ Hermione Granger asked herself again, as she listened to the meaningless droning of the minister about the meaning of love and stupid junk like that. She looked toward the altar at the groom, his emerald green eyes shining with happiness and his black hair still as windswept-looking as it had been the day she first met him. _Stop it,_ Hermione told herself sternly, as she fought to keep the plastic smile upon her face. _It's Harry's wedding and you should be happy for him._

"I hereby declare Harry James Potter and Christina Patti Paterson rightfully married. Mr. Potter, you may kiss the bride," the minister finally announced with a smile at the newlywed couple, after exactly thirty minutes of his speech.

Hermione, like everybody else, looked toward the couple, as Harry slowly bent down and gave his wife, Christina, a kiss on the lips. As soon as the lips parted, the two were greeted by loud applause and, in the Weasley twins' case, affectionate catcalling. Yet before the cheering could die down, it happened. 

The lights in the church had suddenly gone out. "Oh goodness Merlin!" cried someone near Hermione. "The Dark Mark!" and presently, Hermione too saw the green glowing skull with the serpent tongue, illuminating the aghast, frightened faces of the guests.

Before Hermione could utter her surprised exclamation, she felt a draft behind her, and turning around, she saw a whirl of whiteness starting to form, seemingly wanting to suck her into it. Hermione tried desperately to get away, but since everybody was scared to death and getting in each other's way, it was nearly impossible for her to move. "Help!" she tried to yell out, but just at the moment, everything went black, or rather, white.

_~*~_

"Wake up, Hermione!" called a girlish voice.

"Mm…" mumbled Hermione sleepily, shielding herself with her hand, and suddenly she remembered what had happened just some time before. Her eyes fluttered open with a start. In front of her was a girl of about fifteen, who seemed to be oddly familiar. _Parvati?_ Hermione sat up, slightly confused, as she took in her surroundings. One thing was for sure: she was definitely not in St. Peter's Church. "Where am I, Parvati?"

As she spoke those words, Hermione suddenly recognized the velvet hangings hung around her bed. Besides the different color, being blue instead of red, it was the same kind of hangings she'd slept with back in her Hogwarts days. _Am I in Hogwarts? Or St. Mungo's?_ But Hermione's wonderings were soon cut short by the girl's answer.

"Parvati?" she answered, sounding very amused. "Really, Hermione, when did I become Parvati?"

Hermione examined the girl more closely. _Of course!_ She could've smacked herself. _Parvati looks older than this girl. But who is this then? Not her daughter, definitely!_ Hermione's gaze then fell on the girl's bracelet, with _Padma_ engraved in a graceful, flowing script upon it. _Padma…where have I heard the name before?_ "You are Padma?" Hermione asked, although she was just about as perplexed as before, if not more.

"You never mix me up with Parvati before," said Padma, still sounding amused. "And well, Hermione, I do believe you are in Hogwarts. Just like you should be."

Hermione sat up so suddenly that Padma took a step back. She looked at her attire, and was surprised to see that it was now a pale blue silk nightgown in place of the blue dress robes she'd been wearing earlier. _Doesn't Madam Pomfrey make the patients wear the pajamas?_ She decided that this wasn't important, as of now. She wanted to know where everybody else were. "Padma," she said, still trying to place a finger on the name in her head. "Where's everyone else?"

"Sleeping," Padma replied. "Or down at the common room. You promised to tutor me on Arithmancy, so Miss Prefect, let's get going!"

"I did?" Hermione blinked at Padma in disbelief. She had never met this girl really before, except…and then it came to her. Padma was Parvati's twin sister. Besides pondering why Padma looked so much younger in age than her twin sister, Hermione tried to remember whether she'd ever promised Padma such a thing. She didn't really think so. And a Prefect? Contrary to everybody's beliefs, Hermione was never made a Prefect, and she had a high suspicion that Snape somehow stepped in. And what was with the common rooms? Does that mean she was in one of the house towers, not a redecorated Hospital Wing? Her head throbbed with all the confusing thoughts.

Padma looked exasperated. "Of course," she said. "Remember? Vector got really mad at me yesterday because I couldn't explain the number charts. See-" taking a crumpled sheet out of her pocket "I don't understand why the conclusion is the bird will sing on Sunday _morning_ instead of Sunday _evening_. Something about the first two symbols and the theorems but I don't understand them."

Hermione frowned. _Aren't I the Arithmancy professor?_ Hurriedly, she told Padma that she'd be with her in a second, as soon as she got dressed. But she couldn't find her clothes anywhere, and instead found some school robes at the foot of her bed. "Are those mine?" Hermione asked Padma, wondering why all of a sudden she was required to wear school robes.

Padma rolled her eyes and didn't even bother to answer, which Hermione took as a "yes". She took those robes and got off her bed. The room she was in was most definitely a dormitory. But it was not the Gryffindor dormitory. Reflecting upon what Parvati had described of her twin, she decided that she must be in the Ravenclaw dormitory. _Why on earth would anyone do that?_ Hermione thought, taking in the circular room with four beds instead of the three beds she was used to seeing back in her Hogwarts career. _Wouldn't it make a lot more sense if I'm in the Hospital Wing? I wonder if Harry and Ron…_

Hermione decided that she'd find out later; after she get dressed, she'd go to the Hospital Wing. She descended the stairs down to the common room, which was again different from the common room she'd grown used to. The arrangement of the armchairs, for example, was around the fireplace instead of scattered about the room. There were also more tables than the Gryffindor one. Hermione would have preferred to be put in the Gryffindor one to recuperate, but she assumed, as she was still rather sleepy, that it was too full. To her surprise, she saw Lisa Turpin, an old friend of hers, stretched out on an armchair, reading a textbook. Hermione had seen Lisa at the wedding, and she looked younger than what she had been at the wedding. Hermione wondered if she was here to recuperate as well, but she decided to ask after she was dressed in what she supposed was a "hospital uniform".

The way from the Ravenclaw common room to a bathroom was unfamiliar to Hermione, but after a few unnecessary twists, Hermione found the Prefect's bathroom. The first word that came to her mind was "soap bubbles", which she said, and which opened up the bathroom to her immense surprise. But Hermione got a much bigger one when she got a good glimpse of herself in the large, crystal mirror.

Instead of a tall, young woman, Hermione saw a rather petite and slender girl, with bushy brown hair instead of the glossier chestnut hair Hermione had. Her brown eyes were less dull, and she didn't have any shadows under her eyes. Moreover, she looked younger. Just like Lisa and Padma, she looked like as if she were fifteen. _But that's impossible, isn't it?_ Hermione thought, trying not to panic. _I mean, the last time I checked, which was at the wedding, I was twenty-one._ Cold realization suddenly chilled her. The wedding took place in August! It was August right now, when there was no school. Hermione could dismiss that thought, she supposed, but then what was with Padma's homework and the obvious students hanging around in the common room? And the school robes. And the beds. And the Prefect badge gleaming on the robes she was holding. Hermione suddenly cursed her logic. Out loud, she said, "I am not in the wrong place and at the wrong time!"

"What is it?"

Cho Chang, whom Hermione had somehow befriended, entered. Hermione's heart sank when she saw Cho Chang. Cho, too, was looking six years younger: sixteen. She was wearing school robes as well. And she was definitely not at the wedding, therefore she couldn't be at Hogwarts because of the attack, unless there was another one? Hermione knew that she was wrong. "Cho," she said, trying to sound even. "What day is today?"

Cho took out her cosmetics and started to put on lipstick. "Tuesday, December seventh," she replied. "Why? Do you have a test coming up?"

"And what year is this, if you please?"

"Nineteen ninety five, last time I checked," Cho said jokingly. "What's wrong, Hermione? You look like you had just seen a ghost."

_I **am** a ghost!_ Hermione wanted to scream out. Things were starting to make sense, except they don't make sense when they do make sense. When they do make sense, they don't make sense. Hermione was somehow a fifth year again. Hermione suddenly remembered her plan to see the nurse. As insane as it would be, she'd try and figure her way out of this mess. Perhaps other people had been sucked into the past as she had. Besides, Time Turner accidents do happen. She pulled on her robes, still thinking fast, and ran out of the bathroom with Cho looking at her like one would an idiot.

After a few dead ends and wrong passages, Hermione, who after was a professor in Hogwarts, found Madam Pomfrey. "Poppy!" she called out in relief, before remembering that she was supposedly a student. "I mean, Madam Pomfrey."

The nurse saw her and came over. "What is it, Miss Granger? Are you sick?"

_Just try once. Maybe, just maybe, that it is all a sick joke._ "Madam Pomfrey," Hermione cried breathlessly. "I don't think you'd believe me, but I'm not supposed to be here. I'm from the future. I'm a twenty-one-year-old person, really, and the Arithmancy professor here. I'm transported here by the Time Turner I think at Harry's wedding. Did anyone else come?"

Madam Pomfrey looked at her with sharp eyes. "You're right: I _don't_ believe you. Only the worst troublemaker claimed to have those things happen to him," she said sternly. "Really, Miss Granger, a Prefect too! I don't understand why you're doing this, but your so-called adventure has many flaws in it. If you are from the future, then there must be a past you here, shouldn't there? I don't see another Miss Granger. Furthermore, you'd look like your future self, and I swear by the name of Merlin that you look like you're fifteen."

Hermione didn't realize that. "Yes, but-"

"It might be influenza," interrupted Madam Pomfrey, very unkindly. "Here-" and she gave Hermione a packet. "Drink this thrice a day for five days and I promise you will feel like you aren't from the future again." Her tone was heavy with amusement and sarcasm. Hermione opened her mouth to protest. "Now, now, please return to your common room. Ravenclaw, I believe?"

"Gryffindor," Hermione corrected automatically.

"Your badge clearly said that you're a Ravenclaw, Miss Granger, and I recall hearing Flitwick praising you immensely. Run along now."

Hermione had no choice but to get shooed up by Madam Pomfrey, still not registering the surrealism of everything. It simply couldn't happen. It simply couldn't! _Oh God, please tell me what to do!_ Hermione begged silently, as she tried to remember where the Ravenclaw common room was. _Please tell me that it's all a bad dream…a nightmare…_and Hermione rammed into a wall. If it was a dream, she would be awake, but she only felt the acute pain. After a while of wandering, she finally found what seemed to be the Ravenclaw common room, guarded by a statue of a golden eagle. Hermione stared at it, and the password came to her almost in a creepy way. "Sugary charms," she said, as if she were reciting form a script.

The eagle flew up to reveal the entrance. Padma was standing near the entrance, with her arms akimbo. "What took you?" she demanded. "Now you have to tutor me during breakfast! Arithmancy starts in thirty minutes!" She handed Hermione's bag to her, the bag that Hermione had discarded after her graduation. And the books…brand new, with none of the scratch marks of Crookshanks. Hermione wondered if Crookshanks was in the past, for he had died of old age. And then she realized that it couldn't be the past. Not her past, at least. She was never a Ravenclaw.

Padma quickly dragged Hermione to the Great Hall, which thankfully looked the same. Hermione started to make a mental note to consult Dumbledore, but a small voice reminded her that Dumbledore was not likely to believe such a tale either, because Hermione was starting to disbelieve it herself. Could she have dreamed everything? The reality which she thought was real? She hoped not. But Hermione would not care that much, if only she could be where she belonged again. She was so clouded with worries that she didn't realize that Padma was hissing toward her.

"Look," she said, sounding venomously. "Look at our dear Potter." The last word sounded like Padma was pronouncing the name of a slug.

_Potter. HARRY!_ Overjoyed, Hermione looked naturally toward the Gryffindor table, but realized that Padma was pointing at the Slytherin table. The familiar mop of black hair calmed her somewhat, before she realized that Harry-he was in the wrong place too! How could _Harry Potter_ be a Slytherin? Hermione reminded herself to talk to Harry. Currently, Harry was wearing a smirk that reminded Hermione of Draco Malfoy's famous Malfoy Smirk. "He thinks he's so great," Padma said angrily. "There we go again! Whenever he's smirking, that means he's up to no good. That Harry Potter! Just because he survived the Auror's Killing Curse made him no hero! What does he think he is, anyway?"

"Auror?" Hermione stared at Padma.

"Remember? His parents are the worst Death Eaters there ever were. They were thankfully killed by Aurors, but he…well, he somehow survived the Killing Curse. Or was that just a tale? I hate him so much."

_Harry Potter, the celebrity, is now Harry Potter, the curse?_ Hermione would've laughed if the situation was not so serious. Then she wondered about Ron and Ginny. "Do you know Ronald Weasley and Virginia Weasley?" she asked.

"Hufflepuffs, if they are Weasleys," Padma said, waving her hand impatiently. "Now, teach me how to do this problem. I just can't get the hang of it."

Hermione, while digesting all the information she was crammed with, started to lecture her "student" about the theorems and axioms of Arithmancy. As she watched Padma scribbling away on her number chart while ironically praising how Hermione sounded like a real professor, Hermione made a mental note to try and meet up with Harry, Ron, and Ginny. Perhaps, just perhaps, they could figure a way out of all this mess.

A/N: Is this confusing? Does the minister's words sound real? (Never been to a real western wedding.) Do you think Hermione's reaction seems…realistic? I tried to put myself in her shoes, except they don't fit. (Lame joke.) Well, I really hope you like it. Review, _s'il vous plait_. Flames are okay, if you don't chop my head off with it, and if you flame me about the pairing, I will ignore you. =P Oh, if you want me to email you when you update, leave your address in the review and say so. =)

~Kat


	2. Unexpected

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter. I own only the plot and my devilish mind.

**A/N: **Thanks immensely to the reviewers of the first chapter! (Thank You Section at the bottom =)) Sorry to all for the horribly late update. I decided to get a move on since book five is coming out. I hope you guys will enjoy the chapter, although this is probably going to cause more confusion. Don't worry: some will be cleared up in chapter three.

THE MAGIC OF LOVE 

By: Katrina TWO Unexpected 

"Ron! Ginny!"

Upon seeing that her friends were about to rise and leave from the Hufflepuff table, Hermione quickly excused herself and ran toward the two, hoping to be at least able to catch a chat before class starts. She'd checked her watch and she had at least ten minutes.

Ron and Ginny turned around with quizzical looks as Hermione went up to them, grinning in relief. "Good to see you here!" she said happily, thankful for the familiar faces. "Is it okay if we find an empty classroom to talk together before class starts?"

"Why?" Ginny asked, a frown on her face. "Who are you, anyway?"

Hermione stared at Ginny. "Why, I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger," she said, eyeing Ginny nervously. _She's probably just saying that so she doesn't look weird to the rest of the Hufflepuffs,_ Hermione thought, trying and slightly failing to convince herself. _I bet they are every bit as scared and nervous at the place as I am. I guess I'll act like that too if Harry suddenly comes up to me and claims he knows me._ "I'm from Ravenclaw," she added, playing along. "I…er…need to ask you some things about…er…ah…Divination."

Ron looked uncertain. "I might be late for Muggle Studies…" he said.

_Muggle Studies?_ Hermione stared at Ron with wide eyes. _Since when does Ron take Muggle Studies?_ She could only remember too well the times when Ron made fun of her for taking Muggle Studies and ignored her when she suggested that he takes it as well. "Please," she begged. _Three minutes wasted already._ "Can we just go somewhere private to talk? I promise I won't take you long."

"I'm not going," Ron said stubbornly. "Who knows what you're going to do to us?"

Hermione gaped at Ron with a hurt expression on her face. "What would I do to you?" she demanded. "I just want to talk, all right?" _Ron is going way overboard with his acting,_ she thought in exasperation.

Ginny must've understood her intentions, because she shrugged at her brother. "Why not?" she said. "It's not like we're going to have any more fun in the library."

Ron sighed and agreed. "All right, Hermione Granger," he said, eyeing Hermione's Prefect Badge. "Let's go then, shall we?"

_Very good acting, both of them,_ Hermione commented to herself as she led her friends to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. _I should really give them credits for it. Who would've thought?_ Ron's voice cut through her thoughts. "Wait, that's a _girl's_ bathroom?" He looked suspiciously at Hermione as he lingered outside the bathroom, clearly not wanting to step in. "Okay, so what _did_ Ginny and I do?"

That question took Hermione by surprise. She blinked at Ron. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded. "I didn't take you here to take points off of your house!"

"And that's why you took us to a _girl's_ bathroom? Not to mention that it's this haunted, rundown place-"

Ginny glared at her brother. "Ron, just shut up!" she snapped. "Let's hear what this girl has to say, all right? You're wasting time!" Hermione was about to thank when Ginny added, "But I don't know what you're up to, Hermione Granger, but just take heed that just because you're a Prefect does _not_ mean that you randomly take points off because-"

"Stop acting already! Nobody is going to come here!" Hermione cried in irritation. "Look, we all know who each other is, so let's just-"

"Wait a minute," said Ron. "_We?_ I'm afraid I don't know you."

Hermione stared at him. "I'm Hermione, Ron! I've been your best friend ever since first year? What's up with you two? Look, I'm transported here from some I-don't-know-how-exactly place and for goodness' sakes, I know you two are too and you probably can't trust me after nobody else could. But this isn't the time to pretend now that _you_ don't know me. Let's meet in the library later and figure this out, shall we?"

She looked from Ron to Ginny, both of them staring at her like she was Trelawney. Finally, Ron seemed to have found his voice. "Best friends since first year? Really, I didn't know that you existed till now. And what's this…_junk_ about being transported from a place and we are too? I don't know about you, but I'm a hundred percent sure that Ginny and I are in the right place."

"Is this some kind of a joke that Ravenclaws think are funny?" demanded Ginny. "I'm going to be late for Divination. Er…nice meeting you?"

_What on earth is going on here?_ Hermione's mind was screaming in frustration. She hoped with all her heart that everything she was seeing and feeling was just a dream. _What's with Ron and Ginny? They can trust me. For Merlin's sake, don't they know who I am?_ And then the truth hit, more stunning than the last time. Trying to keep her voice even, Hermione whispered, "You really don't know who I am?"

"_Yes_," said Ginny in an exasperated tone. "I don't know who you are. Well, now I do. You are some Ravenclaw freak called Hermione, but otherwise no."

Hermione grabbed Ginny's sleeve to prevent her from turning away. "And you didn't wake up six years younger?"

Hermione knew she sounded incredibly stupid and illogical and not at all like her usual self, but she really couldn't care less. She felt despair and fear wash all over her as she read the answer on the Weasleys' faces before they even had to answer. "NO," they replied together.

"And so we won't meet you in the library later," Ginny said coolly, apparently believing that it had all been some weird and sick joke.

"And next time, do pick a better time for your Ravenclaw pranks?" Ron muttered, rolling his eyes. He and his sister had started to leave, but when Ginny realized that Hermione was still standing there, she turned and said in a gentler tone, "Influenza is going around now. Go to Pomfrey. And Hermione? You're going to be late for your classes if you don't get a move on."

Hermione gave a start. "Oh…oh…of course," she mumbled, and then she realized that she didn't know her schedule at all.__

**_~*~_**

A good ten minutes later, Hermione found herself sitting in the too-familiar dungeon, the hated Potions classroom, having her "favorite" lesson with her "favorite" teacher, Severus Snape, whose attitude toward the Ravenclaws was certainly no better than his toward the Gryffindors (took off fifteen points off Ravenclaw for Hermione's lateness). And it was just Hermione's luck that she was having the class with the Slytherins.

"Now that Miss Granger had kindly decided to come to class," Snape said acidly, glaring at Hermione, "let's go back to what we were talking about before. The Sleeping Draft. I hope you all have prepared your ingredients as I have instructed in the previous lesson."

_Damn!_ Hermione didn't even remember to bring her cauldron, let alone the ingredients. She could just imagine Snape's smirk as he took off a hundred points for her stupidity.

Before the lesson could continue, another person entered the classroom, panting and breathing hard. "Sorry, professor," he gasped.

"That's perfectly fine," said Snape, in a tone much nicer than the tone he used to Hermione. "Go sit down now."

_Of course, one of his fellow Slytherins,_ Hermione thought bitterly, turning to look at the newcomer, and nearly choked. It was _Harry_. Harry caught her eyes for a moment and quickly looked away as he joined the Slytherins. Hermione bit her lips. _Do I dare to try?_ She asked herself, and decided that she must. She stared at her cauldron and basically tuned out the voice of Professor Snape, thinking about Ron and Ginny's responses to her questions. _What if it's the same thing for Harry?_ She wondered, chopping up liver. _What if I'm the only idiot? What if the life I thought I knew was all a big, stupid dream?_

"Earth to Hermione!" cried Padma, since Hermione was forced to work with her, herself having no cauldron nor ingredients. "There aren't any dragon liver in the Sleeping Draft. Have you been listening?" She grinned. "Guess not, eh?"

"Huh?" Hermione looked at Padma blankly. "Oh…oh…of course. Yes, no dragon liver." And then, she dumped the livers in her hands into the cauldron, much to the protesting of Padma and the delight of Snape that the so-called Perfect Prefect had blundered at last.

**_~*~_**

All throughout the day, Hermione couldn't concentrate on her lessons. In fact, she was yelled at _consecutively_ for the first times in her entire Hogwarts school life, but she didn't really care. She was too busy worrying about what she would say to Harry after supper, when she would corner him. She was in Charms right now, prodding the scarf she was supposed to make do the Macarena dispassionately, thinking about Harry.

During Potions, she didn't really get to look at him much, but from the little things she could gather, she could see that he was very much a Slytherin. First of all, they laughed rather unkindly at the Ravenclaws when Snape took off points, and Snape even seemed to favor Harry. Hermione nearly choked laughing when she realized that it wasn't so funny at all. _Snape liking Harry?_ That was the last straw for Hermione. Obviously this world she was in was completely and totally warped, screwed up. _But then again, maybe **I** am._ Secondly, Harry actually seemed to be interested in Potions. He didn't doodle or crack jokes like he did before, but instead flushed in a rather pleased way when Snape praised him on his potion's lovely shade of magenta. And thirdly, he didn't try to catch Hermione's eyes once. Hermione knew that in his place, she would do everything in her power to catch his eyes. But despite all, she was determined to carry out her plan. At least she'd know.

"Miss Granger!"

Hermione looked up in confusion at tiny Flitwick, who was staring at her with a strange expression. "Class is over," he said, gesturing toward the other students, who were all leaving the classroom, chattering and laughing. "Your scarf had been doing the Macarena for the last fifteen minutes already."

"Oh…sorry," Hermione mumbled, gathering up her books and going to join Padma, feeling more confused and lost by the minute.

"What's with you?" Padma asked, as she led Hermione to the Great Hall. "You seemed to be spacing out the whole day. That has never happened to our dear Prefect." She stopped when Hermione started automatically to go to the Gryffindor table. "_Hermione._"

Finally, Hermione was sitting at the Ravenclaw table, with her favorite barbecued chicken in front of her on the plate, except she was barely eating it, although usually she would devour it in a few seconds, getting teased by Ron at how unladylike Perfect Hermione was. After one last stab at her chicken, Hermione gave up. She just sat there, listening to Padma chat with other Ravenclaw girls and occasionally asking her a question, drinking pumpkin juice (although soon she was merely sucking from an empty goblet), while watching closely at Harry.

With a panging heart, she turned to the Gryffindor table, the place she longed to be at, and to the place where she, Harry, and Ron usually sat, to see…_Malfoy?_ There was no mistaking in the blonde hair and the gray eyes, yet filled with mirth instead of malice, as he cracked jokes with Parvati, Dean, and Neville. Hermione remembered that earlier in class, she remembered hearing Lisa Turpin mentioning how dreamy Draco Malfoy was. She shook her head in disgust. A glance at the staff table stunned her even further. While usually Snape would look at Malfoy with a look of…_doting_ this one was staring at Malfoy with the look of loathing he'd usually reserved for Harry.

Definitely not expected.

Sighing, she looked at Harry, joking with Crabbe and Goyle. She prayed with all her might that he'd be alone when he would leave the table, and to her immense relief he was. At first, Crabbe and Goyle made as if they wanted to follow him out, but Harry shook his head and said something.

"I need to go to the library," lied Hermione quickly, standing up.

"No surprise at that, at least," Padma grinned at her cheekily. "You haven't really eaten, though. Shall I wrap up some cakes for you?"

Hermione shook her head and hurried out of the Great Hall, a bit annoyed at her lack of manners. Outside, she caught up to Harry, who was heading down the corridors. "HARRY!" she shouted, unable to mask the relief and joy in her voice.

Harry turned to her. His emerald eyes seemed to light up for a moment before they darkened considerably. "Oh, hi," he said. There was a long moment of awkward silence. "Who are you?"

Hermione bit her tongue to stop herself from screaming out. "Can we talk this over somewhere else?"

Harry shook his head. "No."

_Whatever._ Hermione tried to smile easily. "Look, Harry," she said quietly. "I know that you are scared too." _Please! Please!_ "I am as well. I woke up in the wrong house and knowing all the wrong things and I couldn't figure out what was going on either. I know you have the same problems-"

Was that a flicker she'd seen in those emeralds?

"I don't!" said Harry harshly. "You're lying!"

Hermione took a step back involuntarily. "Harry, listen to me," she begged. "Please just answer one question truthfully. Do you know me?"

Harry stared at her, and his expression softened for a bit before hardening again. "I do now," he snapped, shoving her aside as he strode toward the direction of the Slytherin common room. "Your name is Hermione, and you are a meddling Ravenclaw prefect." He whipped around. "Leave me alone."

As Harry disappeared around the corner, Hermione fell against the wall. Her last hope was gone, too.

**A/N: **Yikes! No Howlers, please! I put a few clues in this chapter. Can anyone find them? These clues will be revealed in the next chapter, so don't worry if you can't find them-but if you do, this will relieve you somewhat. (At least it did to me!) And I'm starting to work in the third one, so the update won't drag as long as this one. Review please! I live for your reviews to sustain me through the finals!

**~Katrina**

**_Thanks immensely to:_**

**Fanficaholic1337**-my first review! Yup, H/Hr. I love the pairing. Thanks for reviewing and keep on reading!

**Indiviualists-**it's up now, although very late. Thanks for reviewing!

**RaistlinofMetallica-**thanks for reviewing. You meant what's happening, right? Well…you'll see…

**Pommekitty-**thanks so hard for the review! And no, Harry's not evil. I'm in love with him too, but Hermione's going to get him…aww…

**Gemini Allora Drazel**-aiya! Bad Katrina! I'm sorry for the confusion, but why are they in the wrong houses? I can tell you this much: I'm going to make life hard for Harry and Hermione before they get together.****

**(unknown reviewer)-**thanks for the reassurance.

**Violet Princess-**thanks for the review. It's suspenseful? I'm so flattered! =)

**itsumademo mamoru-**thanks for the review. Your questions will be answered in subsequent chapters, and I'm not giving away the plot (even though I tend to anyway…).

**Coocoo-**I know it's confusing, but the second part I don't get. I mentioned that it's an H/Hr romance and there is a reason why Harry's in Slytherin. Thanks for reviewing anyway…****


	3. Pleasant Surprise

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter. I own only the plot and my devilish mind.

**A/N: **Quicker update, eh? Anyway, some reviewers said that they caught the hints, but I didn't specify what kind of hints. If the hints you caught are Harry's eyes lightening and darkening, well…you sort of caught it, but that isn't the ones I meant. You'll find out what I meant in this chapter! Hope you like it.

THE MAGIC OF LOVE 

By: Katrina Three Pleasant Surprise 

It was plain impossible to fall asleep that night. Hermione was very hungry, her stomach empty and incessantly gnawing, and she was even more worried. Finally, when her neck started to ache from lying in the same position for so long, she got up from her bed and went to the window to gaze outside at the dark sky with its twinkling stars.

_Why_ hadn't Ron, Ginny, and Harry been able to recognize and remember her? _Why_ weren't they like her as well? Hermione was starting to believe that she was the only one in this predicament, and that Ron, Ginny, and Harry did tell the truth when they claimed that they didn't know her and that they weren't in a world different than the one they were used to. _Then how come **I**'m here?_ Hermione wondered, running a hand through her brown hair in a frustrated manner. _What is it about me that I have to be transported to a completely warped world?_

It simply didn't make sense. Nothing did. She would've understood if Harry were transported here. After all, it might be something with Voldemort—_wait a minute,_ Hermione thought, realizing what she had just thought. _Harry._ She remembered back to the conversations she'd had with Harry, Ron, and Ginny. Ron and Ginny, unless they had wonderful acting skills, were from the world. Ron she didn't know, but Ginny, she was sure, would at least tell her if it had been otherwise. But Harry.

Excitedly, Hermione stood up. She knew that something had been bothering her about the brief meeting with Harry. It could be deliberate or accidental, but Harry had dropped hints. He had dropped a hint for her.

_"Do you know me?"_

_"I do now. Your name is Hermione…meddling Ravenclaw prefect…"_

Why didn't she realize it before? Not once in the whole conversation did she mention her name. Or the fact that she was a Ravenclaw, a prefect at that. He had been watching her. And the fact that he knew her name simply gave everything away. Unless he suddenly became interested in a Ravenclaw whom he had little contact with, why would he inquire about her name? Her anything, for that matter.

Hermione thought back to the Potions class. Harry was late too. Knowing Harry's extreme dislike for both the course and the professor, she knew that he would never be tardy and give Snape anything to tell him off about unless…unless he didn't know he had Potions. Just like Hermione, he had no idea about the schedule he supposedly was to have in the world. And didn't his eyes flicker over to her as he entered the classroom? Also, when she claimed to Madam Pomfrey that she was from another world, Madam Pomfrey had said…something about only the worst troublemaker had claimed such a thing. _The worst troublemaker._ Hermione looked toward the sleeping Padma, remembering how her face had scrunched up with dislike as she spoke of Harry. _Harry. Of course, Harry had claimed the same thing to Poppy. He is from wherever and whenever I'm from._

As relief seeped over Hermione, a question pestered her. Why didn't Harry admit that he was the Harry she knew? Why couldn't he trust her? Was it because of the fact that he tried to tell it to his Slytherin housemates and they didn't believe him? Hermione leaned her forehead against the cool windowpanes. Harry must've been scared. He must've known something else about this other than she does. He was trying to act the part of evil Harry, Harry the curse. She stared outside, and in the darkness she caught the familiar shape of a snowy white owl, soaring through the night air.

It was time to have another talk with Harry, and resolution made, Hermione went back to bed for a dreamless night.

**_~*~_**

"What do we have?" Hermione asked the next morning, as she wolfed down bacons and toast as if she had never eaten.

Padma shoved Hermione her schedule. "For you, you have Divination."

Hermione choked. "Divination?" she said. "That's horrible!"

"I know!" Padma agreed, but for a different reason than Hermione's. "You have to take it with those horrible Slytherins, including Harry Potter." She rolled her eyes. "I heard he's at the top of his class somehow. Probably cursed Trelawney to give him top grades. Mind you, I won't mind seeing that overgrown bat blown up. She predicted that I would one day be married to the hunchback of Notre Dame."

"Oh."

Hermione tried to hide her excitement as she gulped down her pumpkin juice. Could luck be on her side for once? _I can ambush Harry on the way and force him to talk to me._ Hermione stole a glance at Harry on the Slytherin house table, and from the surprised look he had on his face and the abrupt way he turned, he must've been watching her for a while as well.

"What's so horrible about Harry Potter, anyway, besides the fact that he's a bit conceited?" Hermione asked in interest.

Padma wrinkled her nose in disgust. "For one thing, he has absolutely no respect whatsoever to anyone who isn't a pureblood. Not even half-bloods. You remember, he called you a 'Mudblood' last time when the Ravenclaws won the Quidditch match over the Hufflepuffs. That's the kind of person he is."

"Why would he call me a 'Mudblood' when we win the Quidditch match?" Hermione asked stupidly.

"Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed _again_?" Padma asked, laughing. "Of course he would call _you_ a Mudblood. You are the Quidditch captain."

"I'm a _what_?" sputtered Hermione, choking for the second time in five minutes. "Are you serious?"

"Hermione, go see Madam Pomfrey!" said Padma. "Influenza is no silly business."

_And I thought things couldn't get any worse._ Hermione absolutely detested flying, especially in front of everyone. She could never understand how Harry and Ron could fly in the air without tumbling off their brooms. She didn't dare asking Padma what position she played. Hermione finished up her bacons and toasts as quickly as she could and took up her bag. "I'm going to Trelawney now," she said, disguising the eagerness in her voice. "Meet you in…er…um…"

"Charms," said Padma. "And as soon as Charms is over, off to Pomfrey you go."

Hermione pretended to grin and nod. She looked at the Slytherin table again. Harry was no longer there. As she passed the table on her way to the North Tower, a girl stopped her. "Are you Hermione Granger?" she asked, dislike written all over her face.

"I think so," Hermione answered. "Why?"

"Harry wanted me to give this to you," the girl said, pressing a crumpled sheet of parchment in her palm.

Hermione looked at her in perplexity and opened up the parchment with curiosity. Written in Harry's familiar scrawl were the words _meet me in the library before lunch. I need to talk to you. Harry._

"Well, what does it say?" the girl demanded.

"Nothing," lied Hermione. "Just the usual Slytherin remarks."

"I thought so."

Hermione couldn't keep the grin off her face all morning, even when Trelawney predicted that she would suffer a horrible fall from her broom. She looked across the room at the Slytherins, where Harry was eyeing her with a strange look in his eyes. Not a smiling look, but comforting all the same.

After Charms, Padma insisted that Hermione go visit Pomfrey. "Hermione, you have got to go and check if your brain is damaged by the flu," she said. "My Muggle fourth cousin had it once-and she suffered some memory loss afterwards."

"Um…sure, but you go to lunch. I'll go myself," Hermione said authoritatively. Hey, she was the Arithmancy professor!

"You should really go!!" called Padma as she ran off in the direction of the Great Hall. And then, she added as an afterthought, "And better not lose the Quidditch match tomorrow!"

_Oh, great._ Still, Hermione was too excited to be much bothered by the unexpected news. She pretended to head in the direction of the hospital wing, but when Padma turned out of sight, she dashed toward the library. She could go there blindfolded, for it was a common joke among the Gryffindors that if you ever need to see Hermione, go to the library.

The library seemed pretty empty. Madam Pince merely looked up and acknowledged Hermione with a brief nod, knowing the girl's inclination to go to the library. _At least **that** didn't change,_ Hermione thought dryly, looking around. All the chairs were empty. Nobody else but she and Madam Pince seemed to be here. _Could he have forgotten?_ Hermione wondered worriedly.

Not to appear suspicious or stupid, Hermione started to stroll down the bookshelves, pretending to look up a title. Suddenly, there was a rustle behind her and something was slipped over her head and a hand clamped over her mouth to muffle her surprised cry. "It's me," said Harry's voice. "I'm under the Invisibility Cloak because I don't want any unnecessary rumors to go around. Follow me."

With a hand on Hermione's shoulder, Harry led her to the shelf just before the Restricted Section, farthest from Madam Pince's view. Then he slipped off the cloak, folded it, and placed it under his robes. Hermione hugged him joyously. "Oh Harry, am I glad to see you! I almost thought that you were just like Ron and Ginny and I'm the only one who _isn't_ from this world if it weren't for the hints you dropped."

"I know," Harry said. "I wasn't sure if I could trust you or not, so I dropped that hint outside the Great Hall yesterday. I thought that you were a Hermione Granger from this world. After how I tried to tell Madam Pomfrey and Ron, and how they acted really hostile toward me because I was taking up their time with nonsense and that I'm a Slytherin, I wasn't sure of who to trust anymore."

Hermione hugged Harry tighter. "It must've been hard," she said. "I saw you having to smirk and be mean like the rest of the Slytherins. And believe me, you almost convinced me!"

"Being with Malfoy helps," said Harry, but his tone wasn't as light as before. He gently broke the hug and stepped back a few steps. "Did you tell Dumbledore or any of the teachers what happened?"

Hermione shook her head. "How could I? After how everyone I _did_ tell stares at me like a freak, I don't dare, not anymore at least."

Harry was quiet. "I don't think you should have anyway," he said. "This world-it isn't a real world. It's just a world of illusions conjured up by a dark spell. Everyone we know, including Ron and Ginny, they are merely shadows of the people we _do_ know, created by a bunch of spells. Part of a dark plot."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked. "I thought…I thought we were just brought here because we happened to fall in that portal thingy at the wedding."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about," said Harry, and then, more to himself "Why didn't I realize it before?"

"Why didn't you realize what before?"

"That Christina is the Death Eater." Harry turned to face Hermione. "The kiss I gave to Christina. Her lipstick. It's charmed. It activated some dark spells and brought me here."

Hermione stared. "_Christina_? Your wife?"

"Not anymore, obviously," Harry said. "I've known all along that someone had been tracing everything I do and reporting it, someone close to me. You remember those near misses with Death Eaters a few days after I met Christina. And you remember how I meet her? I met her not in the Ministry as she told everyone including Ron and you, but in Three Broomsticks. I should've used my head, but she acted really charming and somehow I just fell for her." Hermione smiled bitterly, remembering how hard it was for her to get through these days after the engagement was announced. Harry sighed. "I guess it's my fault that both of us are here, but I can't figure out why I would be here."

"The house mixing," Hermione said. "Could it have something to do with you in Slytherin?"

Harry didn't get to answer. They suddenly heard footsteps approaching, apparently having heard people converse there and didn't see anyone. Quickly, Harry pulled a book from the shelf and started reading. Hermione took the hint and moved away from Harry, pretending to be entranced in a book called _Wizards Who Pick Their Noses_ when Madam Pomfrey came here, looking at them suspiciously. "Not trying to go into the Restricted Section, I hope," she said.

"No, of course not," Hermione said.

"I heard you two talking back here, so I thought I'd check," said Madam Pomfrey, glancing around them. "Well, I'll be going then."

After Madam Pomfrey left, Harry turned to Hermione. "Do you know that you're the Quidditch captain?" he said, a trace of a grin on his face.

Hermione turned pink. "Please, Harry, _don't_ remind me. What do I play? Beater?"

She prepared for the worst. "Actually," Harry said. "A Chaser." He saw the look of relief on Hermione's face and grinned. "And I'll see how good you're tomorrow. Slytherin versus Ravenclaw."

"You are kidding," Hermione gasped. "And you don't even act agitated that we might be stuck like this possibly forever, and possibly with some dark monster preparing to pounce on us any second now."

Harry grinned wider, but his green eyes were solemn, no sparkle in them now. "Meet me outside the Great Hall tomorrow," he whispered, leaning closer to her. "We need to talk, and I suspect that Dumbledore might be the only one who can help us. But I did owl Sirius just in case." _That explains the owl._ He put his hands on Hermione's shoulders, and Hermione felt a jolt of electricity searing through her body. "I'm glad that you are here with me," he said softly, "even though it's probably my fault that you're stuck here like this, playing Quidditch."

Hermione smiled. "I'm glad to be here for my best friend," she said sincerely.

Harry nodded. "Thanks. And Hermione, don't forget, we are still people who shouldn't be in the least bit cordial to the other to the outside world. Tomorrow, don't forget!"

With that, he pulled the cloak back over himself and disappeared. Hermione leaned back against the shelf, unable to digest all the information she'd just learned. Not about Quidditch. _To the hell with Quidditch!_ She thought in annoyance. _Harry is in danger now, and I should be worrying about how to help him._ But she had no more idea about this whole ordeal than Harry. But Harry was right about one thing. She was in this together with him, and thinking of this Hermione was comforted, however slightly.

"Guess I really _should_ play some Quidditch now, so I won't appear like a fool in front of everyone tomorrow," Hermione muttered to herself as she left the library, imagining everyone jeering at the captain getting hit by the Bludgers. "Especially not in front of Harry."

Her heart was suddenly beating very fast.

**A/N:** I like this chapter, actually, although you might not like it. H/Hr interaction, and the beginning of a beautiful romance…=) Getting carried away there. Anyway, hope you like it, and must I need to remind you guys to review? Drop one and I'll thank you to no end!

**~Katrina**

**_Immense thanks to:_**

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**Frostbite Panda-**sorry! Um…need bandage? =) Does this clear something up?

**RaistlinofMetallica-**the update took so long because of my finals and my job, which are still going on right now. But I simply can't bring myself to study, so here's the update. Hope it's worth the wait.

**zachg-**I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about with star trek, but it's a compliment, right? =) Thanks! I hope to finish it by…er…yeah, someday.

**A Sailors Girl-***blushes* gee thanks!

**wildgoldowl-**yeah! Good for you! I hope these are the hints you caught. ^^ Hope the third one didn't disappoint you.

**Joan the Vampire Slayer-**oh gee, thanks for the flattery! I happen to like this romance better than my D/G in that it seems better-written. The plot will develop more somewhat in the next chapter.

**chickinlegs14-**I'm blushing! Thanks! Glad you love my story. Now you found the answer…right? =P


	4. A Match To Remember

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter. I own only the plot and my devilish mind.

**A/N: **Mm, my muse is doing well so far. I'm able to write a new chapter whenever I have the urge. Yeah! Unlike my D/G romance, which is slowly dying…. Read and review! (excuse typos/grammar mistakes-I didn't proofread…)

THE MAGIC OF LOVE 

By: Katrina Four A Match To Remember 

The night air whipped at Hermione's face as she dragged her tired body back inside the castle after a horrible Quidditch practice, which was thankfully masked by the darkness. Although it had been a chilly evening, she was drenched with sweat and could barely walk straight. Hermione couldn't care less how Harry and Ron managed to stay on their brooms and perform their Quidditch tricks; she was going to keep both her feet on the ground once she gets out of this warped world.

After Hermione put her Nimbus 2001 away, she dove into her homework. It seemed ironic that being a professor herself she was forced to do the homework she'd done six years ago again. _At least for once, I don't have to go to the library and research on Snape's potions,_ Hermione thought as her quill flowed easily on the parchment.

"So, Hermione," Padma said when she entered the dormitory, her hair wet from a shower. "How was the team practice?"

"Umm…" The truth was, Hermione did not call a team practice. Her fellow 'teammates' could find out about her lack of skills and talent tomorrow. "It was good," she lied, not looking up from her essay. "Umm…yeah…Padma, you know I have the flu, right?"

Padma laughed. "So finally you admit it?" she asked, sitting herself on Hermione's bed.

Hermione nodded. "So I was wondering if the reserve Chaser could play tomorrow," she said carefully. "My flying abilities might be hampered by my…er…disease."

"You've been listening to Madam Pomfrey for too long," grinned Padma. "No worries. Hermione, you never get _that_ sick, and even if you do, you can still do the work of three Chasers. Which is why we don't have a reserve Chaser anyway and our other two Chasers basically suck."

_Uh-oh._ "And anyway, don't worry," Padma said, getting off her bed. "You'll do fine, I promise. You always managed to score at least half the points we earn. Sometimes even if Cho doesn't catch the Snitch, we win anyway. You're such a perfectionist! Well, off to bed I go. You better get some sleep too."

"Oh, right." Hermione finished her Potions essay and decided to leave her Arithmancy essay till tomorrow, something she would've never dreamt of doing when she was really fifteen. She pushed away her books, packed up her quills and ink, and after a moment's debate decided to take a shower anyway.

The corridors were dark and quiet and rather foreboding when Hermione exited out into it from her common room, clutching her nightgown and a few amenities and of course, her wand. Although she should know the school pretty well, having been a professor for three years, she had never been in the Ravenclaw section of Hogwarts before. _"Lumos,"_ she said, lighting her wand, not caring if Filch catches her. _He could actually help me find the bathroom._

The light cast a shadow and made the hallways even more eerie. Hermione tried to remember the way she got to the bathroom earlier in the day, and couldn't remember very well except that she bumped into a few wrong passages before finding the right one. Finally, she made it out of the Ravenclaw tower and found the Prefects' Bathroom again, but this time noting the exact way she got there. "Soap bubbles," she said, stepping into the bathroom, but before the door closed all the way, she held her breath.

Hermione had heard footsteps echoing behind her.

Just as the door closed all the way, whoever it was paused in front of the bathroom. _Please don't come in,_ Hermione begged. _Please don't come in._ She listened breathlessly. "Maybe it's just Harry trying to scare me," she tried to convince herself. "I shouldn't be so paranoid. It could be any student." But still, she could not shake away the feeling of fright.

There was a knock on the door. Hermione swallowed and clutched her wand in front of her. _Impedimenta and then I will bolt out of this bathroom,_ she told herself. _But what if it's just a student and I'm really just suffering from paranoia?_ There was another knock, harder and more impatient. Hermione swallowed again nervously as knock after knock came, persisting. She was growing more annoyed than scared. "Look," she snapped finally. "If you don't know the password, then you aren't supposed to be using this bathroom!"

Instantly the knocking stopped. "Oh," a voice said, and the footsteps faded away as the person left. Something about the voice scared Hermione. It sounded very cold and very unlike the voice a student was capable of making. Still shaking, she reinforced the door with a charm of her own before daring to undress and bath in the swimming pool.

After she was bathed and dressed in her nightgown, Hermione gathered up her stuff and prepared to leave the bathroom.

When she heard the footsteps again. She was sure it was the same person. Hermione bit her tongue to keep herself from crying out loud. "You have been warned," the same voice whispered, somehow knowing that Hermione would still be in the bathroom.

_The voice. It sounds familiar._ Hermione clutched her wand and stepped back a few steps. "You have been warned," repeated the voice, and then the footsteps died away.

Finally, when Hermione's pounding heart calmed, she tentatively exited the bathroom, prepared to yell out the Stunning Spell at any moment. Thankfully there was nobody in sight. She gently closed the door behind her and started to leave, but she stepped on something.

A piece of parchment.

Hermione picked it up. _Someone most definitely dropped it,_ she thought, reading it to see if a name was written anywhere. She froze.

_Get rid of the girl,_ it read.

**_~*~_**

"You didn't sleep well, did you?" Padma commented as she got up. "You look so tired."

Hermione yawned. Padma was right. She was insomniac for most of the night. _And I have a good reason to,_ she thought dryly. "I'm all right," she lied, examining the circles under her eyes in the mirror. "Just a case of pre-game jitters, I'm assuming."

Padma grinned. "Oh okay, then," she agreed. "I'll be cheering you on in the stands. Don't worry. You will be wonderful."

Hermione forced a smile. "I'm sure," she said, taking out the Nimbus 2001.

Down in the locker rooms, Hermione pulled on her blue Quidditch robes and looked at her fellow teammates nervously. Cho Chang had her arms crossed across her chest, leaning back on one of the lockers, a confident yet bored look on her face. The Beaters were playing a mock game of Muggle baseball with their bats, and the other Chasers were currently snoring. The only person who seemed to pay attention was the Keeper, but it must be because of the fact that he was a second-year.

"So," Hermione said lamely. "I hope we will play a good game."

The cheering outside only stretched her nerves further to almost the point of breaking. Hermione forced a smile and led her team out, cursing at the unfairness of it all. Out across the Quidditch field were seven green-clad figures, and she saw Harry in the front. The Slytherin look was back on his face, and he looked impassive as they met in the center of the field. "Granger, Potter, shake hands," said Madam Hooch.

Harry extended a hand toward Hermione coldly. When they shook hands, however, Harry gave Hermione's hand a slight squeeze and a faint smile passed over his eyes fairly quickly.

The whistle blew and Hermione forced herself to kick into the air. "Aaaaaaaaand they're off!" shouted a commentary, and Hermione recognized the voice as Lee Jordan's. One more thing that SEEMED normal, she noted with a grim smile.

Her fellow Chaser threw the Quaffle at her. _Oh Merlin, am I supposed to catch it?_ Hermione was screaming inside. She was _not_ about to take her hands off the handle of her broom. Surely she would fall off. As the Quaffle sailed toward her in a graceful arch, she looked toward Harry. Harry and Cho were fighting each other, looking for the Snitch. _Just do it!_ She practically ripped her hands off the handle of her broom to grab the Quaffle. Thankfully she caught it before the Slytherin Chaser grabbed it. She sighed with relief when her broom merely dropped a few inches, but none of the spectators seemed to catch that as a lack of experience, but rather something thrilling Captain Hermione Granger was showing off.

"Not," Hermione muttered to herself, flying toward the goal post. A Bludger shot toward her, but thankfully it made contact with another Chaser instead of her, so Hermione managed to get out of the way.

The goal post seemed well-guarded, but the Keeper paled at the sight of Hermione. _Might as well use that to my advantage,_ Hermione thought, although she was feeling less confident by the minute. Remembering how her mother used to shoot baskets, she pushed her broom forward slightly, scaring the Keeper out of the way, and threw the Quaffle in the goal post.

It went through.

Before Hermione could sigh with relief, she heard a shout behind her. Looking round, a Bludger was heading for her head. Just before it hit her, someone flew in front of her and used his broom to chase away the Bludger. It was Harry. "Hey, thanks," she said, but Harry did not look down at her. Cho had gone in a dive and Harry was following Cho closely.

Meanwhile, the Slytherin Chasers had scored quite a number of times. "Hello, help us!" shouted one of the Chasers.

Hermione started to head toward her side to catch the Quaffle her teammate was passing her when it happened. There was a burst of light from the stands and it hit her broom, setting it aflame. Horrified, Hermione watched as the broom slowly disintegrated into ashes, but she caught a glimpse of a cloaked shadow disappearing before she found herself falling.

_Get rid of the girl,_ that note had said, and indeed she was being getting rid of. _At least I won't be laughed at for my lack of Quidditch skills anymore now that I'll be dead,_ Hermione thought sarcastically. _And maybe my corpse will make it back to the world I actually belong to._

A pair of arms grabbed Hermione and pulled her onto the person's broomstick. Hermione recognized the Firebolt. It was Harry. Loud applause rippled through the stands. Hermione was reminded vaguely of her third year, when she was riding Buckbeak the hippogriff. She didn't like it one bit, but she remembered the feeling of security as her arms were wrapped around Harry.

Just like how his arms were tightly wrapped around her right now.

Hermione turned around to look at Harry. His green eyes were filled with concern and worry, but he smiled faintly at her. "You okay?" he asked.

"I guess so," said Hermione, blushing slightly, remembering the note again. "Meet me at the library after lunch," she whispered quickly. "I have something to tell you."

Harry nodded. Hermione didn't want to look away. His eyes were enchanting, and had always intrigued her in the past. She wasn't aware of the people around her.

Had she always felt this way when Harry looked at her? She thought about all these times in the past when it had been just she and Harry, either because Ron was hurt or Ron was not speaking to one of them. She had always felt something she used to dismiss as fright when she was alone with Harry. After all, Hermione was with the biggest hero of all times.

_But…could it be something else?_ Hermione wondered, reflecting upon her mixed feelings during Harry's 'wedding'. A surge of relief that the wedding was almost when Christina kissed Harry had overwhelmed her. _Or could it be jealousy?_ Hermione found herself leaning closer to Harry till their foreheads were touching. She wasn't sure if he'd been leaning closer as well but she found his lips just millimeters from hers when-

"You'll be fine now," Harry said, breaking his grip on her as his teammates headed toward him and Hermione's toward her. "The library." His lips merely brushed against her cheek briefly, a brotherly peck, as he pulled away and headed back to his teammates nonchalantly.

Disappointment flooded over Hermione's heart for some reason. _He's your best friend!_ She thought to herself. _He's your best friend, and nothing else. It's platonic between you and him. What **were** you thinking?_ She lightly brushed her cheek where Harry's lips had touched them dazedly. "You all right?" asked Cho.

"Yeah…" Hermione said vaguely. "I guess I am…"

Padma was running toward Hermione. "Oh Hermione!" she cried, flinging her arms around Hermione. "I was so worried. I came back from the bathroom-sorry, I missed your spectacular scoring-and I think I saw someone run by me but I'm not sure, and then people were all pointing at you and said you were falling and then Potter actually had the good heart to catch you?" She sounded amazed. "But did you see who did it? Could it be the person I passed by?"

"I don't know," shrugged Hermione, thinking that there was no need to scare Padma, but inside she thought it was pretty obvious. The whole school was outside watching the 'match'. Why else would someone run back inside the castle unless he had just set someone's broom aflame?

Professor Flitwick came and started asking Hermione questions, just like Snape was doing to Harry at the other end. After her teammates and Padma had left, Flitwick said urgently, "Did you see who it was?"

Hermione nodded. "I saw someone…cloaked…"

"Like a Death Eater?" Flitwick asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, but the cloak wasn't the Death Eater's kind. It's more like the kind you can buy in Diagon Alley." Hermione frowned at her own words. Something sounded fishy. _But why?_ She wondered. _This isn't a real world, as Harry had said…is it Voldemort's plan to kill him here?_

She bit her lips and twirled a lock of her hair, something she'd never done before. "But why would I be involved?" she wondered aloud. "Why would anyone want to kill me?"

There was no answer for that. Flitwick had heard the question, but his expression only said too clearly that he had no more clue about this than she did.

**A/N:** My Quidditch description sucks! Yeah and does it seem predictable? Mmm…kay I promise a kiss is coming! I swear! And HOPEFULLY the suspense is building up. Any guess on whom the mysterious person might be? All right, the only thing left for you to do is…REVIEW!

**~Katrina**

**_Immense thanks to:_**

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**Eternal Queen-**well, in chapter two, Harry said that this is not a real world but it's kind of like an alternate reality. You'll see in this chapter that there are bad guys, if not D.E. and our lovely Voldemort. Draco is in Gryffindor; let's say he's best buddies with Neville. Lol. There is a reason why they're brought here. I just need to figure it out…x) Ooh, thanks for your compliment on Christina's lipstick! That popped in my head and glad you like it.

**kate-**ooh, thanks! I promise I won't take very long to update.

**E. C. R. Potter-**it's going pleasantly? Yea! =) Hope you liked Hermione's Quidditch scenes, but personally I think they kind of suck because I can't seem to write them as well as I'd like to.

**ChristinaLupin01442-**I'll check out your stories very soon. Very happy you like my writing.

**wildgoldowl-**go you! =) You are very smart! BTW, thanks for putting me in your favorites.

**VipyGirl831-**thank you!

**Sisgo-**why thanks!

**richelle-**I feel special! Lol.

**Lucida Luna-**ooh thanks! I'm imaginative! *does a little jig*

**Hien Nguyen-**I'm glad you like my approach. Sometimes I find to have them liking each other but not admitting it kind of clichéd, no offense to any writers of coruse.

**Kit-**I email all my readers who leave their emails. Thanks for the compliment.

**depth-**so happy you think it's origina!

**jc-**glad you think it's cool.

**Angel-Wings-**thanks! ^^

_If I missed anyone, tell me and then murder me after I add you, okay? =)_


	5. Together

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter. I own only the plot and my devilish mind.

**A/N: **Oh I just love writing this chapter. H/Hr interaction! Need I say more? *wink*

THE MAGIC OF LOVE 

By: Katrina Five Together 

"Going to the library _again_?" Padma eyed Hermione weirdly. "Hermione, I know you like the library and all, but that's no reason for you to skip lunch two times in a row and starve yourself. Besides, I want to hear about the match."

Hermione internally groaned. That was one of the reasons why she was going to the library. To get away from the curious stares of the school. She could just imagine everybody staring at her now. _Yes, being saved by the oh-so-hated Harry Potter!_ She thought sarcastically, but almost blushed when she remembered the peck he'd given her. "I'll tell you later in the common room, Padma," Hermione said, not wanting to be late to the library, but for a more important reason. She had to tell Harry the danger they were in. If that figure hadn't hesitated to try and kill her…she could only imagine Harry's predicament. _And it's not going to be in anyway better than mine._

"Oh, all right then," said Padma with a shrug. "But I'm definitely wrapping up something for you. You are most definitely going to need the energy for the rematch." Hermione blinked in confusion. Padma sighed. "Well, Hermione, the score was tied and since the Seekers were rather…" She gave a wicked grin. "Preoccupied, shall I say?"

Hermione flushed. "Umm…Ha-I mean, Potter…I just happened to fall on his broom, all right? It's nothing like what you might read in romance novels…"

Padma cocked her head, the impish grin larger by the moment. "Oh?" she said. "I happened to see you almost fall in his arms." She winked mischievously and stepped away from Hermione. "Well…off to lunch I go!" And before Hermione could do anything, she was out of her sight.

"Hey-" Hermione called, but Padma had disappeared from her view. Shaking her head, she started toward the library, thoughts swimming busily in her head.

Something was bothering her again. About Padma…Hermione frowned. _Gee, I **am** getting too paranoid,_ she thought dryly. _I'm suspecting the closest thing to a friend other than Harry in this place; illusions or not._ And speaking of Quidditch…Hermione's heart gave a leap. Her broom was reduced to a heap of cinders, right? So THAT means she didn't have to play! _A valid excuse,_ Hermione grinned to herself. _The one good thing that came out of all of these._

The library was just as deserted as yesterday. Madam Pince didn't even bothering acknowledging Hermione this time, since she was busying sorting out books that had been ruined by irresponsible borrowers and fixing them. Hermione looked around the library, hoping Harry wasn't about to pull his Invisibility Cloak Stunt again; after what was happened she might end up screaming and drawing attention to the two of them. Luckily, she spotted the familiar messy hair fairly quickly. Harry was sitting at a table, reading-an interesting surprise-a book that was not related in anyway to Quidditch.

Hermione suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable as she took her seat beside him quietly, pretending to be reading herself so that Madam Pince wouldn't get suspicious that a Ravenclaw and a Slytherin, rival Quidditch captains no less, are congregating together. She wasn't sure why she was uncomfortable. It was just her best friend, who was supposed to be her worst enemy in this world. _Not even a world,_ she reminded herself, staring right through the book in front of her. _But…._ Hermione thought back to the near-kiss outside on the field. She felt her cheeks burn as she remembered the sensation…and the disappointment when he merely brushed his lips against her cheeks. _But you two are in front of the whole school,_ a voice told her. _What? You guys are going to start making out in front of the whole school._ And after a slight pause-_and don't forget, this is your best friend we're talking about. It's not ethically correct._ Hermione smiled grimly. Too right it wasn't! If Harry had liked her the way she thought he did, he wouldn't have tried, at least, to marry Christina. And she didn't like him. As her best friend (platonic), yes, but nothing more.

"So, Hermione, what was it?" whispered Harry as soon as Madam Pince turned around to work on a severely damaged book.

Hermione couldn't look into Harry's green eyes as she answered. "Yesterday I was taking a shower," she said quietly. "It was really dark and as soon as I got into the Prefects' Bathroom, I heard footsteps lingering outside the door and the person, whoever he or she was, knocked."

She stole a glance at Harry. His face was thoughtful. "Couldn't it have been…a student?"

"Well, that 'student', Harry, started knocking incessantly," Hermione continued. "And afterwards…" She paused and tried to remember. "Right, so I said something to the effect that the person left, but when I finished my shower, the person came back as if he _knows_ that I won't be back to my house common room by then. And I think he told me that I'm warned or something." Harry's eyes widened. "And that's not all."

Hermione pulled the parchment from her pocket. "Here," she said. "And you'll understand the Quidditch incident better, I daresay."

Harry's eyebrows were knitted in a deep frown after he finished the note. "I never thought it would be dangerous…" he said softly. "So someone working for Voldemort is already among in our crowds. Perhaps someone we know quite well even." He saw Hermione's perplexed look. "How else would he have known that it was _you_ in the bathroom? And that you weren't back to the common room? Either he's been stalking you, and I hope not because we might be overheard the very minute-"

Hermione jumped with a small yelp. Madam Pince turned around sharply. "Is there a problem, Miss Granger, with Mr. Potter?" she asked, eyeing Harry suspiciously.

"Ah…no…no…" Hermione sat down. "Just some Muggle disease…diabetes," she lied, hoping that the librarian knew nothing about the Muggle disease. Madam Pince shook her head and returned to her books wordlessly. She looked toward Harry. "Stalking me?" she squeaked.

Harry must've seen the look of horror on her face. He gently laid a hand on her shoulder soothingly. _Not exactly soothing,_ Hermione decided, her heartbeat speeding up immediately. "Don't worry," he said. "I won't let him hurt you if I can help it."

_Did I hear that?_ "After all," Harry added. "It _is_ my fault that you're stuck here, and I'll be really livid at myself if my best friend is hurt in anyway because of me."_ Oh._

"So what's the other possibility?" Hermione asked, not letting any emotion show in her voice. Especially not the same disappointment she'd felt earlier.

"That the person is one of the students, and from the look of things I'll say that he or she knows you to a certain extent." Harry grinned when Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "And no, Hermione, it's not me. I'm the one who saved you."

Hermione laughed weakly. "Hah, hah," she said. "I don't know anyone who knows me _that_ well."

Harry frowned. "What about that girl who acted so worried when you made it to the ground safely?" he asked. "She seems to be rather friendly with you."

"About the only one other than you," said Hermione with a sigh.

"She looks familiar," Harry said thoughtfully, and his eyes lit up. "Of course, Parvati Patil!"

"Close, but not quite. Padma Patil, her Ravenclaw twin," Hermione corrected, playing with a lock of her hair listlessly. The second time she'd done this gesture. "Well, even if she's just conjured up by spells, she's rather nice and as you can see, is rather nice to me."

Harry seemed to be chewing his lips. "I'm not sure," he said very slowly. "Padma Patil." He shook his head. "I won't worry about that now. So for now, we know that one, we are in danger, and two, someone's after us, and three, we don't know anything else. Not to mention that we are pulled back six years and put in the wrong houses, and I am not so stupid to not notice that I seem to have replaced Draco Malfoy in the sense that half the school hates me. Correction: everyone except my wonderful fellow Slytherins and you and Snape hates me."

"Why do you think that is?"

"I wish I know." Hermione looked at Harry and saw a worried look on his face. "I don't know how it will benefit Voldemort if we just stay here. I mean, is this world the world that's moving along while the real world just froze in time? Or is he just sending me here so he can conquer the world we've left behind?"

"Then why would _I_ be here?" demanded Hermione. "I'm just an Arithmancy professor dealing with letters and numbers and trying to prove that this is a more correct way of predicting than crystal balls! And Harry, as powerful as you are, you are only one Auror, and there are plenty of Aurors left in the Ministry. No offense, but the Ministry will fare rather fair even without you. And not to mention that you are actually safe from the Death Eaters here. Remember, the Death Eater attacks started well into our sixth year, so we're safe for another twelve months or so."

Harry rubbed his scar absently. "Exactly," he mumbled, then shook his head again. "It's too hard to figure out. For all I know, we aren't just pulled into this place for nothing. But there must be someone else pulled into this place with us: your attacker."

"If Voldemort can program the past into having you in Slytherin, I don't see how he couldn't program someone, say Padma, into a murderess," challenged Hermione. "And if that's the case, he won't even sacrifice one of his henchmen if we win and we'll just be stuck here till we die of utter disgust."

Madam Pince had returned to stare at them while mending books. Hermione pretended to be engrossed in the pages while she tried to think. She knew that Ron and Ginny definitely were not Ron and Ginny. The professors? She doubted if anyone of them would be disloyal to Dumbledore. Even Snape was acting human. _Even if he **is** mean to Malfoy, but hey, a nice change._ The students? One of them might be her attacker or stalker. Most likely a Ravenclaw. She shuddered, remembering the Ravenclaws in the common room. Anyone of them could be it, or perhaps there were more than just one person involved. Voldemort was no idiot. _And wait a minute,_ she suddenly realized. _How are we so sure that it's Voldemort?_ A stupid question, she decided in a second. The Dark Mark sure gives _that_ away.

She groaned and put her head in her hands, dropping the book with a loud _thump_. Madam Pince glared at her. And suddenly, Hermione was tired of everything. She would give anything to be at St. Peter's Church again. Even with Christina and Harry snogging away in front of her…as much as it hurts to think about it. She stood up to go, wanting to be alone in the dormitory and not think about everything. Nothing made sense. Absolutely nothing. "Hermione," Harry whispered, grabbing Hermione's hand.

Hermione felt something surge through her arm as she felt the warmth of Harry's fingers on her hand. For a moment, she saw something on Harry's face that suggested that he, too, felt the same thing, but soon she decided she was wrong. She swallowed hard. "Yes?" she said.

"We need to get help," Harry said.

"Who? Who on earth in this place is someone that can help us? For all we know, nobody here is real, Harry! They are just made to look real-"

_"Exactly,"_ said Harry. "They are made to look real. So their reactions and such will appear real as well, won't it?"

Hermione thought for a moment. "Theoretically," she said. "But this is not a world where these things work, Harry. This is a world where I won't be surprised if pigs _can_ fly." Harry looked perplexed. "I guess you didn't read that Muggle novel because your relatives won't let you. It's about a girl who went into a world where nothing makes sense. Twice. And there's something in there about pigs can fly and stuff. It's really off topic."

Harry smiled at her. "No…I read it," he said. "I just didn't think you'll…read those kind of books…no offense but I guess I kind of assumed you were born with _Hogwarts, A History_. Anyway, back to what we were talking about: it's worth a try, and there's really no better alternative. Why not?"

_You know, he is right,_ a voice muttered. Hermione nodded. "And I will assume that you meant Dumbledore," she said.

"Yes."

"Well, let's go then. Maybe we can catch him returning from luncheon." _At least we have something to do rather than sit in the library and talk in circles,_ Hermione decided, following Harry out of the library, growing more and more uncomfortable under Madam Pince's glare.

She didn't hear a shuffle behind her, and nor did she see the swift flash of a camera as Harry took her hand to comfort her.

**_~*~_**

It didn't take long to find the familiar gargoyle. As a professor, Hermione herself had visited the place quite a few times and Harry had visited the offices rather frequently during his years as a Hogwarts student, due to his scar and various protection needs. Everything was perfect except for one thing.

The password.

"It's usually the name of a Muggle candy," informed Harry. Hermione rolled her eyes; she knew that from her experience, although a few times weird-sounding wizard candy names are used as well. "I'll say…sherbet lemon."

The gargoyle remained still. Personally, Hermione doubted herself if even a trusting man such as Dumbledore would keep a password he'd used back when they were twelve, almost a decade ago. In fact, Dumbledore had been known to change his password at the most eccentric of times. Harry seemed to have realized the same thing. "Guess I shouldn't try Cockroach Cluster either, then," he said sheepishly.

"It's hopeless," Hermione said with a sigh. "I mean, the password…it can be anything, and literally it can be anything. We should just wait till someone who actually knows the password find us. It could be peppermint humbug for-" She stopped. The gargoyle had come to life and had jumped aside.

Harry and Hermione stared at each other. "Serendipity," said a gentle voice from behind the two, and upon turning around the pair saw Albus Dumbledore, staring at them kindly. "I have nothing against students trying to burst into my office-I've always thought that my passwords are, or should I say were, original for them to guess. I would never imagine the two of you work _together_, however, just to surprise me." He smiled. "Is there anything I can help you with? Settling the Quidditch dispute, perhaps?"

Hermione's mouth suddenly felt dry. _How can I just burst the news on Dumbledore like that?_ She wondered, but luckily Harry spoke up. "Headmaster," he said carefully, his face showing an expression somewhere between a Slytherin smirk and a Gryffindor smile. "Is it possible if…if we talk inside?"

"I understand," said Dumbledore, "and since my little gargoyle is waiting rather impatiently, we should honor that, shouldn't we?"

With a gratified grin at Harry, Hermione followed the two men up the spiral staircase to Dumbledore's office. Once inside the office, Hermione couldn't help looking around to see if it had been altered. And she was rather relieved to see that it was exactly as she'd remembered it, except Fawkes wasn't there. There was no perch. Before she could voice her surprise, Dumbledore got to the point. "I understand that the Quidditch match has a rather interesting turnout," he said. "But I'm afraid that I won't be able to help-"

"Please, Professor, we aren't here about that," Harry said quickly. Even as a renown Auror, he still referred to the respected headmaster by the title "professor". "This may seem to be an outlandish claim-"

"And it is," Hermione added.

"But we aren't supposed to be here," finished Harry.

Dumbledore stared at the two for a moment before chuckling. "Why, I do believe you are correct," he said. "You aren't supposed to be here. If I'm not much mistaken, you are supposed to be eating your midday meals with your respective housemates."

"But we aren't even from this world _or_ this time period!" burst out Hermione. "I, Headmaster, I am one of your fellow professors where I'm from! I'm Professor Granger, the Arithmancy professor, age twenty-one."

"And I'm Harry Potter, an Auror," said Harry. He paused. "And I am not a Slytherin. I am supposed to be a Gryffindor, and so should be Hermione."

"I'm not a Ravenclaw, nor a prefect-"

"I'm not an evil git like everyone think I am-"

"I do _not_ play Quidditch, let alone the position of the captain-"

"I am not the son of Death Eaters-"

"To sum it up, this world-" Hermione paused, not sure if she should mention that this isn't a world. _But then that's real nice to hear,_ she thought. _Imagine if someone tells me that I'm not real._ "This world," she continued, more nervous than before. "As much as it seems like our world, it isn't."

There was a long moment of silence. Dumbledore studied Harry and Hermione with his piercing blue eyes. Hermione didn't know what to say. "Do you believe us?" Harry finally broke the silence.

"I cannot say," replied Dumbledore. "There's nothing I can do for you."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other helplessly. "But you _can_, professor!" Hermione exclaimed fervently. "You can help us find out why we're here-and we aren't here for vacation either. Someone tried to kill me back in the Quidditch-"

"I am aware of that, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said quietly. "However, I must tell you, that no matter how inviting dreams are, they aren't real." Hermione's eyes widened in horror. "Yes, I do understand how hard it is to separate yourself from a realistic alternate world dream back to a reality you may not like. I understand you two imagining your futures and even being put under different houses. But there's nothing I can do for you except to wish you two the best of luck in accomplishing these dreams."

"What?" cried both Harry and Hermione together.

"But Professor," Harry cried. "You must believe us. Look-I know all the answers to the O.W.L.s we're going to have and the N.E.W.T.s…the first question…what drives off an attacking army of dementors and the answer is the Patronus Charm plus the Engorgement-"

The headmaster's eyes hardened slightly. "Mr. Potter, you are known for getting answers for tests we are not to have yet in advance," he said firmly. "I do not think this is a good and convincing piece of proof."

"But Headmaster, why wouldn't you believe _me_?" Hermione was on the verge of tears. She knew it was fruitless. She knew the character of Albus Dumbledore too well. He trusts; indeed he trusts, but he trusts his instincts more, and as of now…his instincts were against them.

"I wish I could, Miss Granger, but your claim-another world-it simply does not coincide with what I would call something that is realistic," Dumbledore said softly. "And if there is an alternate reality, what ever happened to the Harry Potter and Hermione Granger in this world?" He paused slightly. "Madam Pomfrey had informed me about the same claims, except this time you seemed to have spiced it up slight especially after the incident. I do not blame you two for claiming such a thing, but as I always say, dreams live only in your imagination unless you do something about them." He chuckled. "Except to claim them as truths."

"But-"

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger." Dumbledore nodded at them dismissively, stopping the flow of words. "I apologize that you may see this meeting as a waste of time, but unless you can provide further evidence you will be forced to attend your regular classes with your regular housemates. I bid you a good day."

Harry and Hermione stood up at the same time and left, the whole way wordless. When they reached the corridor where they must part, Harry sighed. "I'm sorry, Hermione, this is…I really didn't think that…I'm sorry I wasted your time. I should've known better…I've been hoping a foolish hope that Dumbledore was transported too."

"It's all right." And Hermione meant it with all her heart, despite the frustration she felt that her growing hopes had been shattered. Who was she to blame, anyway? Harry tried and she tried; they both tried. She doubted if Dumbledore could help them, and more so that he was transported here as well…_but it's my fault just as much as Harry's,_ she thought. "It's not your fault. If it's anyone's, it's probably mine."

A smile flickered on Harry's face. "Thanks, 'Mione," he said, his voice quiet yet so gentle, caressing on her nickname only Harry and Ron used.

Nobody was around. Hermione couldn't bear holding it back anymore. She wanted to comfort Harry. Merlin knows how much harder it was for him. To be a Slytherin. Despised and hated. And now distrusted as well. At least she had people like Padma, who didn't love her but definitely would not spit upon her. Harry's face told her all she needed to know; his troubles he had never voiced. She stepped closer to Harry and embraced him. "I…I'll always be here for you," she said. "Together we'll figure a way out."

Hermione was again lost in Harry's emerald eyes, so many emotions showing at the same time. He slowly cupped her face in his hands. "Hermione…" he whispered. "I…will be here for you too," he promised.

The two stared at each other. Harry bent down and planted a kiss on Hermione's forehead before putting his arms around her brotherly. Hermione felt safe, although the castle might just tumble down upon them any moment. And then…it was so quick, but it happened. Their lips were touching.

It wasn't anything fancy, like the ones Krum tried to give her back in the summer of their fourth year. There was no tongue. It was just pure. That was all. Pure with…Hermione wished she could say otherwise, but for all she knew it was just friendship. Reality was suspended for a moment as the kiss continued lightly. Hermione closed her eyes and felt Harry's heartbeat, as quick and erratic as her own. And then, simultaneously they broke apart. None of them said anything, but just looked at each other for a long moment.

Hermione was blushing horribly, wondering if she'd done the wrong thing, kissing Harry like that. She wasn't sure what Harry's thinking either; his face was impassive, and his green eyes were unreadable. _But he did kiss me back,_ she thought. "Thank you," Hermione managed to say, not knowing what else to say.

Harry nodded. "You're welcome," he said, and then he turned and left quickly, leaving Hermione to stare at his robes, billowing behind him. When he was gone, she slowly pressed her fingers to her lips, remembering the sensation of Harry's upon hers.

Again, she missed the flash of a certain camera.

**_~*~_**

"Where have you _been_?" demanded Padma as Hermione entered the Ravenclaw common room. "I wrapped up some cakes for you but they all melted, being chocolate cakes."

Hermione smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry," she said. "I was in the library."

"Not the whole time," Lisa put in. "I went there and looked for you; and you weren't there. We thought you were attacked by Potter or something, because he was not there either."

_More like the Cupid,_ Hermione thought. "I then went around looking for a quill I dropped," she quickly made up a lie, something she was becoming very good at.

"Never mind." Padma waved her hand. "Tell us about the match. Who won?"

_But didn't Padma already stated that it was a tie and there would be a rematch?_ Hermione did not ponder long upon the thought. She was too busy remembering Harry's arms around her, his body pressed so close to hers, and the loving look in his eyes she thought he reserved for Christina only. Hermione shook her head slightly and started telling about the match, skipping the part where Harry saved her.

"That's pretty scary," Mandy said. "Well, Padma here's got something that will definitely make you feel better."

Padma smiled slyly. "Check this out!" she said, holding out a camera. "And I took a few pictures of the sceneries around the school-and oh, you can edit these!" She pulled out a picture with Snape dancing almost naked with McGonagall doing the hula hoop beside him.

Hermione stared at the object in Padma's hand. The camera.

Just a simple wizard's camera.

_Then what's with the weird feeling I'm getting?_ Hermione demanded of herself, as flashes suddenly flooded her brain and the face of Padma suddenly materialized in place of the shadowy face of her attacker.

**A/N:** The kiss…don't tell me it came out too fast! I just had to write something like that. But for now, they think it's just a platonic one…. Hmm, dreaming about Harry and Hermione together. The perfect couple! Back to the plot: now you know who exactly it is that attacked Hermione. Mega points to **eddie** that he got it!

More kissing coming up. I've started the next chapter already, but it needs a lot of polishing. I've outlined the whole story, and there's about ten more chapters to go!

**~Katrina**

**_Immense thanks to:_**

****

**liedrariddle-**yup of course they'll kiss! Like now, and more snogging coming up!

**eddie-**oh man you read those detective novels too! Lol. You're very right! Glad that my fic is at least okay.

**VipyGirl831-**everyone hates Harry because…I don't know actually. =P Thanks for the compliment!

**wildgoldowl-**I bet you know who it is…at least now it's kind of obvious. See, they kissed! Okay? They kissed!

**Angel-Wing-**yeah I'm doing the suspense okay then! Thanks for the assurance.

**E. C. R. Potter-**wow thank you for your analysis. I'm happy you found Hermione's feelings realistic and that the Quidditch scene isn't so bad. I don't know how JKR does it but I sure can't! And I'm extremely happy that you really like my portrayal of Hermione. Hope this chapter is better.

**ChristinaLupin01442-**suspicious? Hmm I guess it is, which is why he didn't exactly kiss her…but I need H/Hr interaction! Lol. Glad you like the chappie.

**Eternal Queen-**ooh thank you! Of course I'll keep going, seeing all my wonderful readers/reviewers there for me!

**Hien Nguyen-**wow! Thanks for having such a high opinion of me! I hope the upcoming chapters won't disappoint you.

**depth-**oh thanks! I was afraid that my plot would never thicken…

**simplee-dazed-**gee thanks! I hope to update a.s.a.p too but I need to make sure that the chapters are good before I update. Please…don't die on me! =P

**Violet Princess-**ooh thanks! I'm especially happy that my plot is considered original and complex! *grins like an idiot* Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_If I missed anyone, tell me and then murder me after I add you, okay? =)_


	6. Love Is In The Air

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter. I own only the plot and my devilish mind.

**A/N:** Thanks for the feedback on the last one. I'm really, really sorry about the late update. But I couldn't make this chapter right no matter how hard I try! So finally I came up with this. Hope you like it…*hopeful*

THE MAGIC OF LOVE 

By: Katrina Six Love is in the Air 

Pretty soon, as the days dragged on, the sight of the Ravenclaw prefect and the Slytherin snob were no longer as surprising as the first time when Ginny Weasley stepped in the library to see the two conversing in a civilized manner. While wild rumors spread throughout the school, Harry and Hermione were not much perturbed in their daily meetings, for McGonagall, upon thinking that the two would encourage school spirit, had merely said that Hermione was educating Harry in the ways of proper etiquette. Not exactly convincing, but rather so in comparison with the popular claims of Imperius Curse.

Hermione usually talked to Harry about school life, and vice versa, for nothing much seemed to be happening lately. The mysterious attacker had apparently stopped trying to "get rid of" Hermione and all was calm. Perhaps too clam sometimes. The Quidditch dispute blew over and the rematch was set right after Christmas vacation, coming up next week. Hermione still couldn't believe that so much could've happened in the last few days, and everything was still a big mystery to her. _At least classes are well for me, considering that I've taken them once before,_ she noted with a smile, glancing down at the Potions essay she'd completed six years ago. _Snape seems rather disoriented…_

"Almost Christmas, Hermione," said Harry, looking out across the grounds, covered with a thick blanket of snow. "Kind of different, celebrating it without Ron and his family."

Hermione nodded, sighing as she remembered the world she missed so much, her heart panging painfully. No matter how much research she did, none of the books seemed to be…well, informative. In those neat pages, none of the paragraphs included _anything_ abut warped worlds and stuff. "I wonder if Ron ever found out that we're missing," she mused aloud, thinking that their best friend weren't _that_ dense.

"Well, if he did and told Dumbledore, nothing seems to be happening right now, 'Mione," observed Harry. "But don't worry. If there's a way in, there's a way out."

"Only one thing, Harry," said Hermione. "_We_ aren't the ones who brought ourselves in. Someone else did, most likely the mysterious attacker or whoever told him or her to get rid of me. And even that might not be certain, because they might just be programmed this way. I'm certain Voldemort's behind it somehow, and he's a very strong dark wizard. You are strong too, Harry, I know that, but we don't know anything about…well, anything."

Harry patted her hand reassuringly. "Hey, no worries," he said. "We will. I still have my Invisibility Cloak, and I'm planning on sneaking into the Restricted Section sometime soon. By the way, would you by any chance be free on Christmas?"

"Well…no, actually. Since my whole team is staying for Christmas, I need to call a team practice. Come to think of it, how _do_ you hold a team practice?"

Harry looked thoughtful. "Hmmm…well, you get some charts they don't understand and use complicated words till they decide to just take off to get away from you."

_I can use my Trigonometry notes._ "That simple, eh?" said Hermione lightly. "I wonder why you always looked so annoyed at your fellow teammates back in our days at Hogwarts."

"They actually _understand_ the charts, that's what!" Harry said indignantly.

"Why do you need to see me on Christmas?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I was just wondering…" replied Harry very vaguely, and he suddenly jumped up. "Oh man! Potions with Snape! Got to go, Hermione!"

Hermione stifled a grin. "Oh, good luck with whatever potion you'll be brewing."

Harry smiled at her. Hermione felt her heart pounding. _Actually, it has always been pounding since that kiss,_ she thought, her cheeks flushing unconsciously as she remembered the sweet sensation of the kiss. _I know Harry didn't talk about it…and he probably thinks it's just one of those pecks…but it's so different for me. It's different than anything I've experienced, and ever since when I'm with him-_ "Hermione?" said Harry. "You spaced out."

"Did I? Must've been thinking about home."

Harry grinned. "Hey, don't worry, as I said, keep the optimism up!"

And then, on the pretense of leaning to pick a book in front of her, Harry brushed Hermione's cheek very quickly. When he stood up, his cheeks colored slightly, but it must've been from the heat. _Man, the heater's acting up,_ Hermione thought. She watched Harry disappear out of her sight and sighed. _I want to go home,_ she told herself firmly, but a voice spoke up. _'Or do you? What about Harry and Christina?'_

Quickly, Hermione slapped the thought away.

**_~*~_**

Soon, another week had flown by. Hermione was tired of the stupid, monotonic school life. Yes, she liked it the first time. Six years ago. She'd enjoyed being with the Gryffindors, with Harry and Ron without suspicion, with Ginny and talking about their crushes, and even losing chess to the Weasleys. Christmas would soon prove to be boring. Hermione grumbled to herself on Christmas Eve, rather unlike herself, as she tried not to think of the world she left behind.

_Time for bed,_ Hermione thought to herself, reluctantly getting out her stuff for the shower, but she must've said it aloud because all three girls in the dorm stared at her, giving her weird looks all throughout. She could see the question marks on top of their heads, even. However…

A snowy white owl had soared into the room and landed on her bed, looking around curiously while waiting for Hermione to devote some attention onto her. Hermione blinked in surprise at the owl, and her mouth opened in surprise. _"Hedwig?"_ she whispered, stroking the owl. Although the owl, obviously not the _real_ Hedwig, flinched at her touch, she stayed stationary as Hermione ran her hand gently over the top of her head.

Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one who noticed the arrival of an unfamiliar owl.

"Hey, pretty owl," said Padma, looking at the owl curiously.

"Looks kind of like Potter's," spat Lisa Turpin, crossing her arms over her chest. "Hermione, what does the note say?"

_Oh right!_ Hermione had been so busy rejoicing over the fact that she'd seen another one of her "friends" that she forgot that Hedwig must've been here for a reason other than to pay a visit to her. As she untied the note, she quickly said, "It's probably from my boyfriend."

"Ooh…do we know him?" Mandy was suddenly interested.

Hermione fidgeted with the note as she tried to think. That was the downside to lying. She needed a real person to satisfy those Ravenclaws' curiosity. Wildly she tried to think. Ronald Weasley? _I would've actually told the truth if only Ron wasn't so dense back when I was REALLY fifteen._ Viktor Krum?_ That's just too far-fetched; besides, I don't even know if this Hermione ever even held such a relationship with him. _In her head, she went over a million names, but none of them worked. Either too impossible, young, or just…impossible! Finally, she paused upon one name she'd never considered before. Draco Malfoy. Since he somehow had become this world's version of Harry Potter…and since…_why not?_ "Draco Malfoy," lied Hermione.

"You lucky gal!" cried Lisa enthusiastically. "His gray eyes are soo…sexy!"

Hermione forced a grin. "Aren't they?" she said, and then she said in a confiding tone, "You know, actually we aren't going out. I mean, I have a crush on him, and I wrote him this note…and he's probably getting back to me." She held it to her chest protectively. "You aren't going to read it!"

"Aww…" cooed the three girls, but each returned to whatever they were doing out of respect for Hermione's privacy, although Mandy threw her a jealous look.

Hedwig quickly brushed off Hermione and soared off into the air. With a sigh, Hermione looked at the letter. Or rather, the note. Very, very short. _Meet me at the Quidditch field. Harry._ "Oh gracious, he's not trying to teach me how to play Quidditch, is he?" muttered Hermione quietly. But in her head…_well, it's Harry. He's not going to let me fall._ Hermione quickly forced herself to squash away the thought that she might fall into his arms again. _He is your best friend,_ she told herself firmly.

Nevertheless, Hermione eagerly dug out her cloak and started to head out. "I'm off to the library," she announced, ready to give more lies.

"Hermione, Hermione," Lisa said with a smile. "If you want some quiet snogging sessions, by all means go ahead!" She winked. "We aren't stopping you."

"But it _is_ late," said Padma in a worried tone.

"No worries! I'm only going out for a couple of minutes I believe."

Although Hermione had her suspicions about Padma, she didn't know whether she should nail the girl who had been exceptionally friendly to her or not. She hoped it was only her imagination, but she did keep her guard against Padma. With a sigh at those recurring unpleasant thoughts, she ran down the stairs, out of the castle, and into the night. It was snowing gently. After a few crunching steps in the snow, Hermione made her way hurriedly to the Quidditch field, where a lone figure stood, awaiting her arrival.

"Hey, I'm going to give you a few lessons for your team tomorrow," Harry said, straight to the point, as he conjured up a few charts. Somehow, he managed to keep the area they were in lit up by a mysterious light source. "This can be easily explained by trig ratios, but let's do them the real way. Besides, I am not too fond of Muggle mathematics, seeing how Dudley slaved over his homework."

He pointed to the black dots. "They are the opposing team," he began, using his wand to guide Hermione. Hermione, still panting after walking so fast, stared in disbelief at her best friend, who had begun talking about the weirdest Quidditch terms she'd ever heard of. "You see, Cho Chang is very quick, but in order to catch a Snitch and ensure a victory you must do the work too. Not to mention that she's going up against me, and I'm awfully good."

"You are helping me to beat you, then!" said Hermione with a smile.

"Anything for you," teased Harry, continuing. "Your Beaters may stop me, but I'm too fast. So the main work is still on the Chasers. There are some moves you can use, but given your skills-"

Hermione laughed. "Or my lack of skills, shall we say?"

"That too," Harry nodded with a grin, "but in either cases you must have some hands-on experience."

Hermione looked at the Firebolt on the ground. "But Harry, the most I can do is what I did at the last match," she protested. "You're going to laugh!"

"It's not like I'm not going to laugh anyway," said Harry with a shrug. "It's either now or the day of the rematch." He paused thoughtfully. "And your teammates aren't going to be thrilled that their captain suddenly became a very lame player!"

_Interesting sense of humor he has,_ Hermione thought, glad for the disguise of the darkness as she climbed on the broom gingerly. And to her great surprise, Harry climbed on behind her, and carefully put his hands upon hers. He must've read her mind.

"I'm not letting you break my broom by zooming around, you know," said Harry, as he helped Hermione kick off into the air.

For some strange reason, Hermione wasn't that scared of flying anymore. She was vaguely aware of the boy sitting behind her, his arms so protectively engulfing her, nearly in his embrace. She stifled a content sigh as she tried to concentrate on the Quidditch terms Harry was muttering. _He's your best friend!_ She told herself, as she heard rather distantly Harry talking about turning the broom with a strong grip on one hand and a slight push on the other.

"Take your hands off the broom, and try to steer using your legs," came Harry's voice. "That will give the crowds the impression that you can actually play."

"Cut the Malfoy remarks, Potter!" laughed Hermione nervously, as she hesitantly lifted her hands off. Instantly she staggered, and had to grip the broom tightly again. "I can't do it."

"Try," urged Harry, slowly taking the hands off the handle. "If you fall, I won't get you hurt." His voice was softer and in Hermione's imagination somewhat sweeter. _"I will protect you."_

Hermione did as she was told, and she managed to keep her balance, but as she tried not to fall, she was aware of Harry's arms on her waist, keeping her erect. She felt dizzy, but not because of the height or even Quidditch. Because of Harry.

"Oh Merlin!" she cried as she fell a second time, but this time into Harry's arms. A place where she had always found sanctuary in.

Hermione didn't sit up immediately, and instead of helping her back up Harry's arms were tightly around her now. The snow was falling thicker…such a scenario…and Hermione unconsciously turned on her broom, and with a strange impulse laid her head on his shoulder.

_This is heaven…_she thought, when Harry didn't flinch at the touch. _This is really heaven._ Hermione sighed softly as the two stayed airborne, not talking. She never felt this with anyone before, not even Krum…sure, he was attractive all right, but she'd always felt uneasy around him. And Ron? He was too submissive, like the other boys she'd dated. It was only in Harry's arms that everything felt right. And she remembered all these times in the past when they embraced each other. She'd always felt safe. Just having him near…she felt safe.

"Do you mind?"

Harry's voice held a hint of worry. _Of course not,_ thought Hermione, and with a bitter jolt she realized that it was Harry…her best friend…her "platonic" best friend…the young man who was still semi-married…with two hundred fan clubs…how could he ever fall for her? _He's just trying to comfort you, Hermione. Get a grip!_ Still dazed however, Hermione pulled herself out of Harry's embrace. "No, but I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I got carried away. Umm…let's go back to Quidditch…"

"But I got carried away more," said Harry, cutting her off. He then leaned over, pulled her close to him, and placed his lips upon hers firmly.

All thoughts of anything else melted away, and this kiss felt better than the last. It was still pure and innocent, but the passion was so much stronger. Never mind that it was Harry Potter she was kissing. Never mind that they were still on a broomstick! Hermione only wanted this to last forever. She put her arms around him and pulled him closer to her, and both closed their eyes to enjoy the sensation. Harry abruptly broke the kiss after a moment, his scarlet face visible even in the brewing snowstorm.

"Don't apologize," said Hermione, disappointment flooding all over her. "Please, Harry, I beg of you…I'll stay practicing Quidditch till midnight, but don't ruin the moment." And in her heart, she'd added, _I've waited for this ever since I hugged you at the Sorcerer's Stone. Perhaps it was not love then…but I'd wanted to hug you forever…never letting you go…_

"I promise I won't," said Harry, kissing the top of her head gently. And Hermione thought she heard something else, but all thoughts were flung out of her mind as they pulled close for another kiss.

_Oh God…_Hermione whispered internally as she desperately held onto Harry. If not forever, just for this moment. She was aware of how well she seemed to fit in his arms…_no matter what…no matter what happens when we get back…I'll always be thankful for this…if not forever…_ Tears fell out of her eyes. _It hurts. It really hurts, that all of these aren't real at all.._. When they broke for air, Harry brushed the tears out of her eyes softly. "Don't cry," he said. "I've always cared for you as a friend…" _Please, stop!_ Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Harry held up a hand so that he could finish. "But now, I want to care for you as something more."

"I'm not Christina Paterson, Harry," said Hermione softly, forcing the words out. "I'm just your best friend. It's okay. After all, it's just a couple of kisses between two friends…" _Shut up! It sounds so darn cliché! And you know that's not how you feel at all._

"It's the Love Potion that caused me to fall in love with Christina. Apparently it doesn't work in a different dimension." Harry was stroking her hair. "Hermione, it's true that I always saw you as a friend, but during this period, we've been together all the time, and I find myself craving for more and more. Sometimes I even wish for the attacker to attack us…because that's when we're together the most…. It's true that it's just some kisses between two great friends, but…even best friends can become something more…. You're here for me whenever the other people's hatred for me overwhelms me…and you're here for me when I need some consolation…and if you want, I'll be here for you. And Hermione…I've always known this in my heart…if Christina Paterson had never convened in my paths, you and I, we could've been so much more."

Hermione grinned. "Thank you, Harry," she said. "I realized too that I love you…that I've always loved you…and that having known you has been the best thing that had ever happened to me…besides knowing Ron of course." She pulled closer to him. "I don't care about the past…but I just want to be assured…that we can be well-off in the future as well…"

"I promise," said Harry.

No more words needed to be exchanged after that. The long kisses the two shared said everything that needed to be said. Snow fell thickly around the two, but all they were aware was each other…their warmth…the new love that had sprung between them…

_Meanwhile…on the ground…_

Padma Patil laughed as she finished snapping the photos. "Tomorrow, it will be all over the school," she said, cackling. Turning to the person next to her, she said, "Tell the Lord that Part I is completed."

**A/N:** Mmps…oh, if anyone thinks this is the end for the romance plot, you're wrong! ^^ The next chapter is the one where the romance and the suspense plots would merge together! That is, if I can pull it off. Oh, and the ending…the suspense is _supposed_ to be growing…

Now, review and tell me how you like the fluff…the kisses…as I've never really kissed a guy, I'm just writing out what I hope to be doing with my crush. *suggestive* So…anyway, yeah, feel free to flame me about the kisses if you want, but I've always imagined the romance between Harry and Hermione to be relatively pure.

**~Katrina**

**_Immense thanks to:_**

****

**Eternal Queen-**glad you do!

**E. C. R. Potter-**what Padma's going to do with the pictures is obvious-you guessed it-and it's going to be found out why in the next chapter, although I suspect this chapter pretty much gave it away. *red-faced at her obvious plot* Hey, at least you said H/Hr's kiss is wonderful! ;P

**VipyGirl831-**hey thanks!

**SummrMagic-**I'm glad you like it! =) Always nice to hear new flatteries lol.

**wildgoldowl-**ooh thanks, extremely happy you like the Dumbledore part…. What's going to happen next…you'll see…*wink*

**Stargazer Pisces-**thanks! ^^

**ChristinaLupin01442-**oh you're so lucky-I'm jealous too! My dad won't let me preorder it! So I'm camping outside the bookstore no matter what! At least your dad's the nice sweet Remus!

**sarah-**I need to torture them a little before they do and make them fall in love first! Have patience!

**Kate-**it's Padma, as you can see in chap 5. I promise to update ASAP.

**FlowerBySea-**no, your English is great. Anyway, I'm glad you find you got addicted to my fanfic *evil cackle* and I'm flattered you think I'm talented. The ending won't be coming for another ten chapters ^^ but I promise there's no sex. Lol.

**I-am-crazy-4-dan-**oh I'm very happy you like my fanfic. ^^ JKR better put H/Hr in the fifth book…or else!

**depth-**well, that's basically why the camera's involved…plot/romance development, but I actually didn't plan it at first.

**Angel-Wing-**thanks for the wonderfully flattering review *grins* and I'm glad you don't find the email updates annoying.

_If I missed anyone, tell me and then murder me after I add you, okay? =)_


	7. Unexpected in Everyway

**Disclaimer: **I own absolutely nothing except for the plot.

**A/N:** Wow! I'm back in writing! I figured that I must finish _something_ H/Hr. Apparently _Intertwined Destinies_ is on a hold, so I'm going to try and complete this one. I wanted to post last week but my comp was done…SO…=/

Thanks to: _SugarGirl (I'll also thank you for commenting on the story!), A Sailors Girl (sorry I didn't get to wait for your feedback-the thought's greatly appreciated), Anonymous, andrea, Violet Princess, Cay, _and _Kit_ for encouraging me during my block! This story would've been history without your wonderful support!

RECAP:

Hermione wakes up after some wedding fiasco to find that the world she woke up in is not the world where the wedding took place. The only person who seems to be from her world is Harry. Not even Dumbledore could help. Someone's out there to kill her, and tried to kill her once during a Quidditch match already. There are many clues waiting to be fit together. In the last chapter, Harry and Hermione were kissing while Padma finished taking her pictures and tells her crony that part I of master's plan is completed.

I wrote an extremely long chapter (in comparison with the others) for this one. Actually, to some of you it's still short, but I'm combining two chapters in one. So…yeah.

ENJOY!

The Magic of Love 

By: Katrina 

Chapter Seven 

**Unexpected in Everyway**

**_"M_**erry Christmas, Hermione," yawned Padma when she saw Hermione leaving the dormitory at the crack of dawn. "Aren't you up a bit, um, early?" She rubbed her eyes as she tried to squint through the still dark room.

Hermione was briskly buttoning her cloak. She was in an extremely good mood, even though she was usually cranky in the mornings. "I don't feel like sleeping," she lied, trying to think of an adequate excuse. "You know, I can't wait to open my presents."

Padma shrugged. "Good luck, then," she said, falling back asleep almost instantaneously.

Hermione smiled at the girl as she descended down to the common room with the only present she got. She wasn't surprised; after all, Harry was the only one she knew here. And anyway, for some reason, she was in high spirits. _Well, actually I know why,_ Hermione thought with an unconscious grin. The memories of the previous day was still clear in her mind. Rather, the memories of the previous night. She sighed softly. It was incredible. She supposed that it must've looked weird, up there in the air on a broomstick and kissing, but it felt like heaven. _And I supposed that's all that matters to me._

Harry told Hermione to meet him at the lake. The lake had always been one of their favorite spots for some reason. Hermione could recount every single thing she'd done with Harry by the lake. Especially those days during late seventh years, when the war was growing worse and worse. They'd always meet at midnight and just talk about whatever happens to come to their minds. Ron would be there too, joining in the conversation sometimes, but most of the times he fell asleep either on Hermione's or Harry's shoulder, leaving the two to talk through the night till the sun starts to rise, when they'd catch a few hours of sleep. And in this world, it was also their place of privacy. Nobody in their right mind would be up so early.

The snowstorm had done wonders to the Hogwarts ground. It looked like a picture on the Christmas cards Hermione cherished as a child. Tall pine trees were covered thickly, and the castle looked even more enchanting. Hermione smiled slightly. The sight seemed extremely precious, since it was rarely seen back in their real world. She held the present closer to her and hurried to the lake. It was so familiar a path that the darkness hardly delayed her. Before long she saw the slender figure of Harry Potter standing there.

For a moment, Hermione froze as she looked at him. The sun was rising, illuminating Harry's face. On his fifteen-year-old face, as innocent and carefree as it seemed, his eyes were the same war-worn eyes Hermione had grown accustomed to. He was staring across the frozen lake, his green eyes deep in thought, barely blinking. She waited a few moments, not knowing whether she should disturb him or not. However, when Harry didn't move after a few more minutes of waiting, Hermione timidly went up to him. "Merry Christmas," she said.

Harry turned to her. "Oh, you too," he said. "I liked your present very much. Extremely useful."

Hermione had done a bit of last-minute magical knitting, resulting in the production of a coarse-appearing yet hardwearing scarf, Christmas colors. Hermione hadn't meant to have some Slytherin color in it, but to accentuate Harry's beautiful green eyes it looked great. She nearly blushed at how adorable he looked. "You're welcome," she said generously. "And…thank you for your present."

She must've said the wrong thing, because Harry's warm eyes darkened. "I didn't give you your present yet," he said slowly. "Whoever gave you that present…he or she isn't me."

Hermione fingered the package with a frown. It was lavishly wrapped and decorated, promising something quite intriguing inside. _But who on earth would bother to give me a present?_ The only person she could think of was Padma, or Lisa and Mandy, but she barely knew them. She decided to worry about this later. The present wasn't even real, after all. "So…Harry, what present do _you_ want to give me?" she asked.

Harry's face broke out into an impish grin. "I thought I gave it to you last night," he teased. "But anyway. I thought these might help. Forgive me; I don't really have anything to give you, and this is the best I can come up with." He paused. "Or the worst."

Hermione looked hesitantly at the package he handed to her. "And this is…" her eyes widened with shock and mirth as the wrapping paper fell away. "Quidditch charts?" she spluttered out, unable to stop giggling. These weren't even serious Quidditch charts; just stick figures flying mixed with what little trigonometry Harry knew from Hermione's tutoring in the past. "I'm sure we'll steamroller you the next time."

"Dream on!" Harry laughed. "What? Don't you like it?"

Hermione hugged him and tucked it inside the pocket of her cloak. "Of course I like it," she said. "I love it. Because it's from you."

Their eyes locked. Each knew what was coming next. "Then perhaps you'll like this more," Harry said, pulling her into his embrace and kissing her on the forehead, slowly trailing down so that their lips met in a kiss.

It was a bitter winter day, in the early morning no less, but Hermione felt warm and fuzzy all over as she absorbed herself in the kiss. Harry was really one of a kind; his kisses were always a treat, not to harsh and not to light. Gentle and soothing. Their lips, however, did not part because of suffocation; instead, Hermione felt Harry's arms falter around her when she was aware of another presence.

Many thoughts flew through her mind at the time, but the thought that was screaming the loudest was that _we've been found out! We've been found out!_ Hermione didn't dare to open her eyes that she closed as she enjoyed the sensation of the kiss, but when she did, she wished that she could fall in the lake and drown.

The steely gray eyes of Draco Malfoy stared back at them.

Harry held Hermione's arm protectively. "What do you want, Malfoy?" he asked softly.

Malfoy's eyes flashed dangerously, but he didn't say a Malfoy remark. _After all,_ Hermione thought sardonically,_ he's supposedly this world's Harry Potter._ "I don't want anything," Malfoy said, just as slowly and deliberately as Harry. "I was just here taking a walk, and what do you reckon I see? A Slytherin snogging Hermione."

Hermione was surprised at Malfoy's tone. He sounded rather defensive of her. He even said her name in a tender way. _What's going on here?_

"Is that a problem?" Harry hissed.

Malfoy shrugged. "I'm a Gryffindor, Potter, and I don't go for your lowdown cheats," he replied. "But if you don't mind, I'd like to borrow Hermione for a few seconds."

Harry crossed his arms. "And if I don't let you?"

_This is not worth it for Harry to get into trouble for._ Hermione brushed Harry's arms off her briskly. "I'll come with you, Ma-I mean, _Draco_," she said hurriedly. "Just don't do anything to Harry, all right?"

"Her-"

"Fine," cut in Malfoy. "Potter, off you go."

_Gryffindor or not, he and Harry sure aren't lovers._ Hermione grabbed Malfoy and pulled him away. "Come on, M-Draco, let's talk somewhere else." _Act like you hate the boy._ "I can't believe I'm actually caught with that bastard, you know?" _Sorry._ "It's like he owns the school or something."

"That's what I think too." Malfoy glanced at the snow. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"Well, it's not like I would do anything with him besides yelling at him," reasoned Hermione as truthfully as she could manage, "right?"

Malfoy looked at her. His gray eyes were warm and happy. "I know!" he said. "For a moment there, I thought you actually _liked_ him."

_I don't just like him. _"Wow! You must be joking." Hermione laughed nervously. "Umm…why do you need to see me, Draco?"

Malfoy looked at the unwrapped package in her hands. "Do you like the present?"

Hermione's eyes nearly popped out of her sockets. _Draco Malfoy, giving ME a present? Has hell froze over?_ After a long pause when she tried to gather her thoughts, she croaked out, "Merry Christmas and thanks."

Malfoy nodded. "Don't you want to know what it is?"

Hermione shrugged. _I guess this isn't the real Malfoy,_ she decided sarcastically as she opened the package to reveal a jewelry case with a necklace inside. The necklace was a long silvery chain, quite delicate and exquisite, with the pendant H in gold and studded with tiny diamonds. She fingered the jewelry lovingly. It was beautiful. But it was from Malfoy, and she could not possibly take it. "I'm afraid this is too dear an item for me to accept," she said, putting the necklace back in the case and handing it back to Malfoy. "And I didn't give you a present, Draco. I can't possibly accept this. I thank you for the thought but-"

"I want you to have it." Malfoy was positively blushing. "I…I'd like…will you go out with me?"

_Hell no!_ was Hermione's initial response, but she realized that this would help her strengthen her lies. Padma and Lisa weren't dumb, and they'd know soon enough that Hermione hadn't been meeting Malfoy yesterday but instead Harry the Slytherin instead. _And I'm going to be back in the real world pretty soon,_ she tried to reassure herself. _I'm sure if this Draco's nice he won't do anything bad to me. And I won't fall for him anyway._ Yet still…she couldn't bring herself to say yes to the person who had degraded her "Mudblood" since the beginning. Not to mention that she and Harry had just admitted their love to each other. _What kind of a soap opera am I in?_ Hermione could've laughed at the surrealism of everything. "Can I…think about it?" she asked hesitantly.

Malfoy smiled. Not the Slytherin smirk. Hermione blinked and swallowed. He looked almost cute like that. She could understand why Ginny and many other girls fell all over him in the later years. Even though he was only fifteen he looked so much manlier than Harry and Ron at this age, and very handsome. She was sure that she would've been drooling had her heart not been occupied with another person. "I'll be glad that you give this some consideration," Malfoy said. He looked shy and unsure. "Can I kiss you?"

Hermione nearly fell back again, but she didn't feel as revolted as she had when Malfoy asked her to go out with her. "Not on the lips yet," she was careful to warn him.

Malfoy tiptoed and kissed her on the cheek. And then, with his face flaming, he took off for the castle, leaving Hermione with the case. Hermione didn't know whether she should wear it or not. And Malfoy was just plain confusing. She stood there for awhile, feeling the rising sun's ray on her hair. Harry had come as soon as Malfoy disappeared, but he was quiet as he stared after him. "What happened?" he asked Hermione. "What's that?"

Hermione looked at him, feeling perplexed. "I have no idea," she said. "If I don't know better, Malfoy was hitting on me."

Harry stared at her, and then he started to laugh. Hermione stood, baffled, but soon saw the whole comedy of the situation. She joined in too, till they looked like buffoons, nearly rolling in the snow with laughter.

**_~*~_**

As soon as Hermione entered the Great Hall, however, she didn't feel like laughing at all.

There were a few apparent reasons for this.

First of all, as soon as she entered, the formerly bubbling with conversations Great Hall quieted down almost immediately, as if on cue. And as one entity, every pair of eyes, including the teachers and Filch, turned to stare at her, not exactly in a friendly way. The Gryffindors hardly masked their disgust of her, and the Slytherins were positively sneering, every single one of them, because Harry wasn't there. And the Ravenclaws…they looked downright ashamed that they had her as a Ravenclaw. Even though there were fewer students than usual, Hermione felt like three generations of Hogwarts students were glaring at her. And the way Ron and Ginny were glaring at her…she shuddered.

And then…when the students finally tore their eyes away and went about their normal business, Professor Flitwick walked over to her with his mouth set in a thin line, not looking particularly thrilled, very unlike the usually jolly professor. Hermione also noticed that the teachers and Filch never once let their eyes off her, and Dumbledore's warm blue eyes were an icy shade of turquoise. McGonagall and Snape looked murderous. If she hadn't known better that this wasn't the real world, Hermione would've turned on her heels and ran as far away from them as she could. "Miss Granger," said Professor Flitwick, beckoning to her. "Please join us at the staff table."

The third reason was the worst. Hermione felt the stealthy glances of her fellow students on her back as she walked toward the staff table. And when she arrived, her mouth nearly fell open. Lying neatly side by side were a whole roll of pictures. Pictures of her. Not just any picture of her, but pictures of her and Harry kissing. With captions attached to them. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see that every house table had a set of the same pictures, and people were eagerly examining them.

_Uh-oh. This is not good._

Her mouth dry, Hermione stared down at the first picture in the group. It was of the Quidditch match when Harry caught her and kissed her briefly on the cheek. The picture taker had zoomed in on the two of them, with Harry's lips brushing against her cheek as the frozen motion, giving the effect that they had been snogging before. Underneath, the caption read _So this is what really happened at the match_. The next pictures were of her and Harry's first kiss after seeing Dumbledore. On all three of them, Hermione was leaning over to Harry and catching his lips in a kiss. Harry's arms were tightly wrapped about her. And on the last one, the taker had neatly taken captured the moment when their lips parted. The way Hermione's eyes looked back at Harry's was a dead giveaway. _Whoa! Watch who you're kissing, A Slytherin and a Ravenclaw, _and _A Shame to Rowena_ were the captions to these.

But the last ones were the worst. They were of just yesterday, with Harry and her in the air on the broomstick. Hermione would've been somewhat grateful that somebody captured her moments of bliss had this not been the case. She winced as her pictorial self and Harry's pictorial body merged into one as they kissed seemingly interminably. The only thing she could be grateful for was that the pictures do not record sounds. Hermione averted her eyes, practically tearing them off the pictures, so they wouldn't have to read the last captions, which would definitely be more lurid than the first ones, if those weren't horrible enough.

"Miss Granger?" McGonagall's voice was cold. "I demand an explanation for this. I, and many of my colleagues here, are under the impression and you and Mr. Malfoy are going out."

_Padma!_ Hermione's eyes widened. _So it was Padma after all. It had been her who had done all of these things. The person who I thought was my friend was the one who took all these accursed pictures!_ Hermione would've stolen a glance at her "friend" but McGonagall's burning glare was holding her in place. She didn't know what to say. She supposed that she could've said something funny, like _Oh I didn't know teachers care who students date!_ Or she could've asked straight out why dating a Slytherin was so bad. But all these words got stuck in her throat and what came out was, "We are!"

_Why did I just say that?_ Hermione was horrified. She had lied. She was a lowly traitor like Peter Pettigrew, betraying both Malfoy and Harry! Well, she didn't know about Malfoy, but Harry…. Hermione knew she should've taken it back immediately, while the teachers were still in shock, but she wasn't able to think anymore. Mechanically, she took out the necklace. "Look," she said against her conscious wills. "Look! This is the Christmas present my boyfriend gave me. Why would I snog Harry Potter when I have Draco Malfoy?"

Professor Sprout stared. "But those pictures," she said, holding one up. "They can't be faked, can they?"

Hermione smiled. And what a smile it was. An sly and impish smile. "Well, it probably was of me and Draco kissing," she said. "I bet that horrid Potter replaced him with himself so that I could get into trouble and he could add me as another one of his whores on the list."

Was that her voice talking? Each word came out against Hermione's will. It was as if she was possessed, and she had no doubt at the moment that she was. Why was she saying all these things about Harry? Why was she blaming everything on him? And for goodness sakes! Poor Draco Malfoy was involved in the whole thing, and all he did was trying to ask Hermione out. Hermione closed her eyes in horror, wishing for her Time Turner.

The teachers were quiet for a moment. They looked at each other, seeming to contemplate. "Well, Miss Granger, I'll be sure to seek out Mr. Potter, then," Dumbledore cut in after a while, his face again benign and gentle. "I'm sorry for the troubles we've caused you."

Hermione's mind suddenly snapped. She was back in control. "But Professor!" she started to say, but Flitwick waved her protest down.

"Fellow students, this has been another lowly trick of Harry Potter's…" started Dumbledore, claiming Hermione's innocence.

Miserably Hermione looked at the other students as Dumbledore continued his speech. Many of them smiled at her and others shrugged at the pictures. It was so sudden. They were her friends again. Ron and Ginny, the two she had ached for because they were so mean to her, waved at her friendlily. Draco Malfoy did not protest when Dumbledore announced of his and Hermione's relationship, but instead grinned at Hermione. Hermione bit her lips to stop herself from screaming in frustration; that grin was so much like Harry's saucy grin. Once or twice she tried to interrupt, but she thought better of it.

Remembering Harry, she decided that she must do something about this. Hermione wanted to interrupt Dumbledore, but she knew she could not. _Perhaps I can tell Harry in time to get him to think of a way out,_ she thought. _Perhaps he can incriminate that damn Padma the same way I incriminated him._ Hermione winced at the word incriminate. She didn't deserve to be Harry's friend, much less his potential girlfriend.

Even warning Harry was hardly possible. The morning dissolved in a fog. Hermione couldn't quite remember how she made it to the Ravenclaw table amidst the many apologies. She was only aware that once Padma squeezed her hand but she flinched automatically. Lisa and Mandy were gossiping away about the ills of Harry, Hermione could see, but she didn't know if she responded to them or not. All she knew was while she planned to go to the library, where Harry would be, to talk to him about the whole new mess she herself had caused, she was with Draco Malfoy outside the Gryffindor common room. The familiarity of the place gave her no pangs, like it would be; it only choked her with apprehension.

"Thanks for not, you know…giving me away I guess out there," said Hermione, shuffling her feet. She knew the way from the common room to the library like the back of her hand and she needed to go, dammit!

"You're welcome," Malfoy said. "Except I don't think I was lying then."

"Look, Draco, I must tell you something," Hermione began. She didn't know how to do this, but she certainly was not going to break two people's heart on the same day, Christmas Day no less. "I-"

"It's okay." Malfoy shrugged. "I mean, it's a bit soon, but we'll get to it. I promise I won't be a bad boyfriend. And anyway, nobody can accuse you of making out with Potter if we're dating, right?"

_Is that a deal I hear? _Hermione was at a loss for words as she stared into his sincere gray eyes. It was no wonder that he was the fake version of Harry Potter. He acted just like what Harry would. She closed her eyes, remembering Harry's figure in the early morning, waiting for her, looking so achingly cute wearing that scarf. Those Quidditch charts. Him holding her tenderly as he taught her flying. Who knows what was happening to him right now? _And all because of me!_ Hermione's mind screamed. "Um, I would really like to talk to you, but I need to go," she excused herself. "I must go…"

"I'll come with you."

"No, Draco, I really must go somewhere alone…I need to take a hot shower…it's cold…" Hermione forced a smile. "Merry Christmas!" and with that, she ran off.

Hermione ran as quickly as she could, before whatever had possessed her earlier possessed her again. Her mind was surprisingly clear as she reached the library, panting. A snowstorm was brewing outside, so the few students that stayed were in the library. As quietly as she could, Hermione looked around at every table, walked through every bookshelf, looking for Harry.

He wasn't there.

_NO! Harry, don't do this to me, not now!_ Hermione nearly screamed with frustration. _What if something happened to him? What if-_ She was about to ask Madam Pince when she saw Harry walk in the library. Even ten feet away she felt the tension as the room positively froze. Behind him, she saw McGonagall leaving with a weird expression on her face, something that could be called hatred mixed with satisfaction. _It can't be bad, can it?_ Hermione tried to convince herself. _She wouldn't let a convict in the library, would she?_

She stood rooted to her place, unable to speak. The eyes were still fixed on Harry as he looked around. Hermione noticed that there was an added frailty about him. His face seemed even paler and his green eyes were no longer emeralds. And was she imagining it or did his robes hang even loosely on him? How would that be possible? He only missed breakfast… Harry spotted Hermione. Hermione willed the upcoming sense of possessive energy again as she smiled slightly at him. Harry's eyes, which were usually warm and encouraging, were frigid, however. "Hermione," he said very slowly, stopping two feet away from her. "I beg your pardon."

Hermione felt all the eyes on her again. Yet this time she didn't care. _What was Harry playing at? Is this some kind of a code?_ "Huh?"

Harry smiled. A sarcastic smile that chilled Hermione to the bone. "Professor McGonagall asked me to come here so I can beg your pardon. I am indeed indescribably sorry that I happened to manipulate those pictures in an inhumane way." Every word he was speaking was laced with heavy sarcasm and hurt. "And I must mention that I'm grateful only one hundred points are taken away from Slytherin and only two months of detention would I serve. Now, I must go and be secluded in my dormitory."

There was a long pause. Harry and Hermione faced each other. Harry's eyes were dark with anger at Hermione's betrayal, yet there seemed to be a glimmer of hope, that perhaps Hermione could somehow change everything. Hermione opened her mouth; she didn't know what she was going to say, but what came out of it wasn't what she'd planned at all. "I accept your apologies," she said coldly.

She closed her eyes when she heard Harry's footsteps leaving the room, hoping the eyes would leave her at last. Yet when Hermione dared to look again, she realized that only a total of five students were in the room, and none of them seemed a bit interested in the passing conversation. _What has happened to me?_ Hermione wanted to wail out, but she caught herself in time. No, she was not going to lose her mind again. _I am going to go to Harry and explain everything; and then I'll go apologize to Draco; and then explain everything to the teachers and students._ Harry's friendship was worth a lot more than her reputation. Especially her reputation in this world, the world that had turned into her nightmare.

**_~*~_**

Hermione didn't get to see Harry till the late afternoon. By that time, the snowstorm had left yet another two layers of snow for the Hogwarts students to play with. Malfoy asked Hermione if she wanted to join with his fellow Gryffindors. As much as she wanted to be with Seamus, Dean, Neville, Lavender, and Parvati again, Hermione quickly declined, saying that she had a headache. When she was sure that hardly anybody would be around, Hermione started for the Slytherin common room.

She had never gone to that part of the school before. She knew that Ron and Harry had, but she never did. Hermione only remembered the many times she stared furiously at Malfoy and his boulders as they left the Great Hall. She traced the direction she remembered them taking, and for the rest of the way followed her own instincts. Which was frankly quite hard, because Hermione usually had no sense of directions. And the labyrinth of passageways were not helping at all. _Wonder why I failed my driver's test every time,_ Hermione reflected.

And it was just her luck she bumped into McGonagall on the way. "Why aren't you outside with Mr. Malfoy?" she asked. _Nosy teacher._

"I have a headache."

McGonagall's eyes softened. "I know what you've been through," she said understandingly. "I gave that Potter a lecture he's been deserving for quite a while. And he must've been shocked that someone decided to take charge of his wayward behavior! He barely talked back to me." She smiled at Hermione and shook her head. "Well, Miss Granger, I hope you feel better son."

Hermione should've realized that it was very uncharacteristic of McGonagall, but she was too busy worrying about how to get to the Slytherin common room without getting herself lost first that she took no notice. And the horror…she didn't dare imagine what McGonagall had told Harry. She could only imagine what he could feel when she said something to the effect of "and Miss Granger indicted you as well!"

Finally, though, Hermione managed to find the stretch of wall Harry had described to her after the Polyjuice Potion visit to that place in their second year.

Now all that's left was the password.

Hermione groaned. _This is impossible,_ she thought, leaning against the wall. "Damn Hogwarts!" she cursed out loud, and to her surprise that was the password.

The wall slid open to reveal the rather gloomy Slytherin common room and Harry Potter, barely more than a shadow in the already dim common room. Hermione was glad that he was alone. She for the life of her couldn't think of another excuse. Harry was staring into the fire, not speaking, and his eyes seemed extra shiny. "Harry!" Hermione cried out, rehearsing again in her mind what she was about to say. "Harry!"

Harry looked up at her. His face was frozen. Hermione stepped back a few steps. Ginny had once drawn a picture of Tom Riddle, and Harry looked just like Riddle the way he looked at the moment. Swallowing, Hermione looked down and saw that Harry was clutching the scarf she'd given him. It gave her courage. "Harry," she tried to say.

"I'm supposed to be secluded. Go."

"Harry-"

"Do you want to get me into more trouble?"

"H-"

"I thought that you were the Hermione I knew. I really did." Harry's eyes flashed. "So all these time you were planted to break me like this? I should've known. I should've just dropped you that day when you were supposed 'gotten rid of'. I actually thought that you were the sweet and gentle friend I remembered. Little do I know that you are just as much a stinking traitor as everyone else." He turned. "The person I kissed is not you. She is the real Hermione Granger. Get out of here. It's bad enough what's happened."

"Harry, it really is me."

"I hardly believe you."

"Listen to me…look, I don't know what came over me-"

"Save your breath. Go to Malfoy. He'd be glad to hear your gentle voices. I don't need you to ruin my memories of my best friend like this. _Go._"

"HARRY! IT IS ME! I AM SORRY! I SHOULD HAVE TOLD THE TRUTH! I REALLY SHOULD HAVE!" Hermione was shrieking, hardly caring if anyone overheard. _Good if they do!_

"Shut up." Harry's voice was soft. Hardly audible in comparison to hers, yet the coldness was more than what Hermione could bear. "You didn't tell the truth. Don't tell me that you're really Hermione Granger. First Ron and now you. I don't need any of this. Tell your master he'll never break me. Got it?"

"Harry…"

He stood up and pointed the wand at her menacingly. "Leave before I earn myself another five years of detention," he hissed.

Hermione did start to leave, but it was only because she couldn't bear to see Harry staring at her like this.

"Oh, and take this. I don't need this to taint me even more."

Hermione was reminded of Sirius shouting at Peter as Harry threw the scarf back at her.

**_~*~_**

"Part II has been accomplished as well."

"Good. In that case, proceed to the final part."

"As you wish."

Two figures exited the Shrieking Shack, easily camouflaged by the brewing snow.

**A/N:** Whew! Does it even make sense? So you know what the pics are for, eh…and um, more will be explained later. I have spring break next week, so expect at least two updates by the end of the month. ^^

Well…hope you like it! Review and tell me! _Please?_

**~Katrina**

**_Thanks to the reviewers of C. 6_**

****

**depth-**smart reader you are!

**FlowerBySea-**no sex! Sorry. Aww your love has died? Like in real life? I'm sure things will be better if that's the case. Harry and Hermione will get together in the end, despite what this chapter seems to imply.

**I-am-crazy-4-Dan-**thanks! That means a lot.

**E. C. R. Potter-**thanks! Yeah Chapter six was one of my worst chapters.

**MioneH/H556-**now you find out!

**ChristinaLupin01442-**or I'll secretly order it…hmm…either way is applicable. ^^

**HrryPttrFreak87-**don't worry! The ending won't be freaky, if I'll ever get to it that is.

**simplee-dazed-**I am so honored! Sorry bout the wait.

**Joan the Vampire Slayer-**thank you so, so much, esp the encouragement.

**Hien Nyugen-**oh I'm sorry! I tried to update sooner, but back luck ensues…


	8. Library Holds Secrets of Its Own

**Disclaimer: **I own absolutely nothing except for the plot.

**A/N:** Hey! Here's chapter eight. Hope you like it. Oh yeah, I didn't proofread this chapter. There may be typos and stuff, but oh well! (It's just an excuse in case it sucked!)

The Magic of Love 

By: Katrina 

Chapter Eight 

**Library Holds Secrets of Its Own**

Interesting how Christmas had such an end.

Hermione groaned. This was absolutely crazy. On her bed, she rolled over to lie on her stomach, listening to the laughter drifting up from the common room below. Yes, she should've been one of them, still thinking about Harry's kisses and the stupid Quidditch charts he'd given her. Perhaps even having a night rendezvous with him somewhere in the Hogwarts ground.

But no. She just had done the stupidest thing she'd ever done and ended up all lone in the empty girls' dormitory, angry at herself and the world.

It did give her room to think about everything, however. For once, there was no giggling Ravenclaw girls (plus Padma the traitor) to distract Hermione's train of thought. There would be no one to pop in random questions about dresses and cosmetics. At least, Hermione could think about everything that has happened so far and draw somewhat of a conclusion.

Not that it would make sense, but at least it would occupy her mind from what Hermione was going to have to do about Harry.

Hermione got out a stray piece of parchment from the pocket of her robes and a quill. One thing was for sure: Padma was the culprit. _Padma—the one who was supposed to "get rid" of me._ Hermione frowned. Something wasn't quite right.

Was Padma the only one?

_Well, if she is, then why would she write a note to herself to get rid of me? Wouldn't that just arouse suspicion?_ Hermione bit her lips. _So there has to be someone else involved._ She sighed. _Padma—also working with someone else who's unknown at the time._

Oh who was she kidding. Hermione wanted to rip the parchment up. She needed someone to help her. Unfortunately, Dumbledore wasn't Dumbledore in this world, and she was sure that the teachers were programmed to be dummies as well.

And Harry.

Hermione bit her lips. Harry couldn't help her.

But could Draco?

Hermione pushed that thought away. Draco was one of them too. How could she expect Draco to help her in this mess?

How could she expect anyone to help her in this mess besides Harry?

_Back to making sense,_ Hermione chided herself. So far she had two things figured out. One, the pictures were most definitely part of the plan to "get rid" of her and do something to Harry. And two, Padma was one of the culprits in this.

However, it didn't match. Suppose Hermione was killed in the Quidditch match. Suppose she never made it to kissing Harry. Then what would've happened? There would be no pictures.

_Unless this is all a ruse to separate me from Harry._

Hermione tapped the quill lightly against the parchment. That made sense, she supposed. Part of the plan was to separate her from Harry.

Well, if they wanted to keep her and Harry separate, why bother bringing her here in the first place?

_They didn't planned to._

Hermione grew excited. She was here not for any other reason, but to protect Harry! Well, what an interesting thought. She'd think that Ron would be the one, but instead she was dragged in as well. Perhaps this was the first flaw in the whole plan?

Would there be any other flaws?

And whose plan was this? Hermione was starting to have a feeling that Voldemort didn't send only she and Harry into this world. He must've sent Padma as well. Hermione couldn't think of one reason why Padma would hold a grudge against Harry in their fifth year. Okay, fine, she was neglected by Ron in the Yule Ball, but that was another story altogether, wasn't it?

Hermione added those to the parchment. _Ruse to separate Harry and me. Padma—sent by Voldemort to carry out plan. Someone else involved._ She sighed deeply. She got those figured out, she supposed. Then more questions pelted her way.

Why was Harry in Slytherin and her in Ravenclaw?

Why were they both fifteen?

Why was it so important for her to be separated from Harry?

Who was the other person involved?

And what would come out of all of this?

Hermione sighed and rubbed her head. _If I figure everything out, perhaps Harry will forgive me,_ she thought, putting the parchment away after magicking it into a pillow. She didn't want anyone else to see it. Everyone is a suspect.

Being Hermione Granger, she was going to the library the next day. It was bound to have some answers.

As for now…Hermione carefully placed a number of charms on her bed. She needed to stay alive till then. Padma knew that she was exposed…and there was no telling what she might do.

**_~*~_**

When she went into the Great Hall the next morning, Hermione was relieved to see that nobody even bothered glancing her way.

Granted, there weren't a lot of people there, but it was somewhat of a comfort.

Harry, however, was sitting in the corner of the Slytherin table, eating but not really eating. He barely glanced her way, but Hermione had a feeling that he knew she was there, because there was a visible stiffening of his body and his head turned away from her way ever so slightly. Hermione shuddered. She hated to have her best friend mad at her this way.

Draco, unfortunately, was not as quick on the details as the real Draco had been. He came up to Hermione and took her hand with a smile on his face. "Come and sit at the Gryffindor table with me," he said, gesturing toward the familiar faces. Lee Jordan…Parvati and Lavender…

Hermione looked down at her feet. _Well, take your pick, _something in her head spoke up. _It's either the murderess Padma, or an idiot who's infatuated with you._ "Okay," Hermione said, and as she settled herself down at the Gryffindor table she was aware of two green eyes boring into her back. She shuddered.

"Are you cold?" Draco asked, putting an arm on her shoulder. Hermione flinched.

"I'm sorry, just a bit jumpy," she quickly apologized, and started to eat fast. She did not like being around Draco. And besides, she had work to do.

"Want to come and have a snowball fight with us after breakfast?"

_Imagine that. The bouncing ferret being playful. Voldemort must surely have a sense of humor._ Hermione shook her head, pretending to regret this. "Oh no, Draco, I have lots of homework to do. You see, I promised my mother and my father that I'd do a bit of Muggle studies…" She watched Draco's face closely as she said the word Muggle. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem visibly disgusted.

"Can I help?" he offered.

"Well…" Hermione thought for a moment. The more Draco was around her, the less suspicious everything would be. "Sure, why not?"

After all, she could employ Draco, couldn't she? Hermione smiled grimly at this. She really shouldn't trust anyone, but…what's done is done.

**_~*~_**

The library was next to empty when Hermione and Draco went there. Well, of course, the few students that remained in Hogwarts were outside. Hermione didn't know what she was looking for. She doubted if there would be a book titled _Why Voldemort Brought Harry to a Pseudo-World_ or anything of that nature.

"So, um, what are we looking for?"

Hermione thought fast. "A book on Arithmancy and something really…um…advanced on Transfiguration," she said.

"Oh." Draco looked at the shelf Hermione was edging toward. Near the Restricted Section. "Um, I don't think you'd find anything in the Restri-"

"Oh no. I'm looking for a book for my friend. Lisa Turpin? You know…girl things…" Hermione smiled as easily as she could manage.

Draco nodded. "All right then," he said, heading toward the proper shelves.

Hermione waited till he was well out of sight. Then she took a careful peek at Madam Pince, who was looking with clear irritation at another ripped book. _Good,_ she thought, edging closer and closer toward the Restricted Section, as if looking for a title in the _Biography of Gilderoy _Section. When she was next to the first shelf in the Restricted Section, she looked again. Draco and Madam Pince seemed to be arguing over which Transfiguration book was harder. They wouldn't be interested in her.

So Hermione slipped into the Restricted Section.

She didn't know what she was expecting to find. But as she ran her hands over the many titles, she had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

Hermione walked slowly, examining every title carefully. _The Art of Melting Humans. How to Scramble a Human Mind._ Hermione made a face. Her mind was being scrambled just imagining it. _Many Delicious Cuisines from Ancient Oriental: China and Japan: the Poisons That Can't Be Detected._ Hermione heaved a sigh. Nothing she needed. Not that she could see.

She walked off into another shelf, but before she could get past two books, Madam Pince grabbed her shoulder. "Miss Granger, a note?"

Hermione gulped. Madam Pince didn't look happy. Hermione supposed that she had been spending a bit too long imagining what was contained in each of the books she'd seen before. Quickly, she thought of an excuse. "Should I? I'm not in the Restricted Section."

"Oh, but you are," said Madam Pince coldly. "Please, people really have no respect for library regulations. Join Mr. Malfoy in the section where you belong."

But Hermione wasn't listening. She was staring at the book Madam Pince was holding, and her eyes darted to the shelves again.

_All the books on Make-Believe Worlds are gone._

And the book Madam Pince was cradling had the title of _A World of Imagination: How to Create a World of Your Own Fairy Tales._ It was ripped in many places, probably why Madam Pince was holding it.

And Hermione's eyes widened, remembering the times when she and Harry had come.

_All of these times Madam Pince was mending those books._

_Because someone didn't want Hermione to get them._

Hermione was surprised by the knowledge. Swiftly, she made a decision. As she followed Madam Pince to the desk where the librarian worked, she cast an Illusion Charm on a parchment in her pocket. "Oh, there's a note," she said, handing it to Madam Pince. "Can I check out the books you're mending? I think they'll help me in Transfiguration."

Madam Pince gave her a weird look. "Books on outer universes?"

Hermione nodded. "I need _A World of Imagination_ for a project I'm doing…how things are Transfigured differently in other…um…universes…"

Madam Pince hesitated and studied Hermione. "Well, Miss Granger, I can't exactly say no, seeing that you do have a note," she said, taking the note and handing the book to her. "Just make sure you don't rip it further, all right? Ah, here comes Mr. Malfoy."

Draco came, carrying two fat volumes. "Here, Hermione, the books you're looking for," he said, and he frowned, seeing the book Hermione was clutching to her chest. "What's that?" He craned to look at the title. "How to Create a World?"

Hermione quickly concealed the title with her arm, smiling charmingly at Draco as he checked out the books for her. "Oh, nothing, nothing really," she lied.

Draco frowned and handed her the two books Hermione supposedly wanted. "Well, I need to study now," Hermione said, thinking quickly of a way to slip out of this. "I'll join your snowball fight later, okay?"

"Er…okay?" Draco stared at her. "You feeling all right? Fever, perhaps?"

Hermione shook her head. "I have to get going, then!" she said, and ran out of the library, leaving two dumbfounded people staring after her.

**_~*~_**

Hermione ran as she'd never run before, dashing into the Ravenclaw tower, inside the common room, and up to her dormitory. Lisa and Mandy were doing each other's nails, but neither acknowledged Hermione's presence, too absorbed in deciding if polka-dots or stripes looked better with orange dresses. And Hermione didn't think it necessary to greet them either.

She locked the hangings around her bed and eager opened the book that proved to be able to answer many of her questions. Running her hand down the table of contents, she rested upon one. _The transportation of selected people into your world, page 758._ Hermione flipped to that page quickly. There were huge pictures on the first few pages, showing page being dragged into what seemed to be a whitish whirlpool. _Just like the portal thing I was pulled into,_ Hermione realized.

Her finger rested on a likely paragraph.

_To transport people that aren't in the world when you created it requires great dark magic spells. There had been many attempts but none had been entirely successful. In order for a person to be in the world, there are many things one should remember. If you want to pull the person into a make-believe world that has the person's counterpart, it cannot be attempted, because in some cases, the counterpart will take over the person's train of thought and cause disastrous results. Another important thing is that the person must be aware that he's pulled into another dimension. If otherwise, there is a way for the world to disintegrate._

Hermione's eyes widened. Of course! That was why she'd acted so strangely when the pictures incident came. It wasn't _her_ speaking; it was the Hermione counterpart that was supposed to hurt Harry speaking. She hoped that wherever the counterpart was hiding now, she wouldn't resurface again.

And the world would disintegrate? What was that supposed to mean?

Hermione opened up to the contents again, and found what she was looking for. _Compiled reasons why people wants make-believe worlds-page 87._

And on that page, Hermione found her answer.

_There are many reasons for make-believe worlds. Usually, if the worlds do NOT include the transportation of a person from the real world, then it's for purely recreational purposes. There are charms to reveal the happenings of a make-believe world in comparison to the real one. In those cases, the world CAN be made to disappear with special charms. However, if it includes the transportation of people into those worlds, then within a month the people inside those worlds WILL REMAIN THERE FOREVER. The time clock of the real world would start moving again WITHOUT a trace of the people sent into the make-believe world. There will be no way out, unless one of the people transported has no idea that he is to be transported. In that case, there is still a slim chance of escaping. Further details have not been given, for the victims who escape are in no condition to tell us._

It fits, it all fits, doesn't it?

Hermione jumped up. No matter what, she was going to have to show this to Harry. Whether he hated her or not, she must tell him what danger they were in. They were almost here for a month. And who knows if Padma and the others had been here way before they were! Time was running out for both of them. That was Voldemort's plan, wasn't it? So Harry was stuck here forever?

She practically ripped out of the common room in her bare feet, and with a pounding heart headed for the Slytherin common room, time running out with every passing second.

**A/N:** Erm, okay, yeah, the plot's a bit too complex for me to cover completely. If there's anything you don't understand about "make-believe" worlds, leave it in reviews (hinthint) and I'll answer in the next chapter. Hope you like it.

**~Katrina**

**_Thanks to the reviewers of C. 6_**

****

**FlowerBySea-**I'm sure everything's fine in the end. You'll find a better one. Thanks for reviewing!

**Alanna-**thanks!

**Hpdancer92-**just wait! I'll explain everything. Oh, Ron and Ginny in this world aren't the real ones. The real ones are still at the church. They'll make their appearances in the last chapter, chapter 12.

**andrea-**being the romantic I am…they'll get closer!

**Mel-**thanks for the compliment.

**Hien-**thank you for the encouragement! *moved*

**Blackheart Sayonoran-**I think there're AU fics where Hermione's in Ravenclaw. Oh, the head is Flitwick, I think JKR said. Yup, I'm pretty sure. Hmm, I think Hermione would've been in Ravenclaw…but she has to be in Gryffindor to be with Harry! LOL.

**Hermione Alanna Granger-**I like D/Hr, but I love H/Hr (see the difference? ^^). Nope, definitely not a D/Hr. Hermione didn't grab Harry and confront Padma because she's scared…and because her counterpart is controlling her…you know…

**Harry's girl-**why thank you!

**Cay-**thanks! =)


	9. Astronomy Tower

**Disclaimer: **I own absolutely nothing except for the plot.

**A/N:** Lalala! Yeah, finally over 100 reviews! *dances with invisible partner* Thanks to all of you! You guys ROCK! =)

For those on my mailing list: the email update was somewhat delayed because I am really busy. Sorry!

_WARNING: This is like such a crappy chapter. I meant to refine it, but it was either this or no update at all. I figured that I owe you guys the update, so…yup yep. No flames…*runs out of sight*_

The Magic of Love 

By: Katrina 

Chapter Nine 

**Astronomy Tower**

_"We must stop her now." Padma looked up. "Look, this note…she's figured this much already."_

_"And I believe she took out the library book." The hooded figure glared. "Weren't you supposed to be the one who's making sure that all these books-"_

_"How am I supposed to know that she figured this much already? I daresay she's going to Potter at this very moment."_

_"That cannot happen."_

_Padma nodded. "You know the spell to reawaken the counterpart?"_

_"Perfectly."_

**_~*~_**

****

"Hermione!"

Hermione turned around. _No!_ Somehow, Draco managed to catch up with her. He was staring at her with an awed expression on his face. "What's the hurry? To the _Slytherin_ common room?"

_Oh God. Go away!_ Hermione forced a smile. "I need to return a book to…er…Pansy."

"Can I come along?"

Hermione pursed her lips. "Girls' talk, Draco, girls' talk." She forced a giggle. "Um…you know…we want…um…privacy."

Draco smiled in amusement. "I guess I'm not welcome," he commented. "Well, see you at supper?"

Hermione nodded. "Right…see you at supper." _Gosh, I would rather sit with Harry…argh, Hermione, how would you even know that Harry will…you're hopeless. _She kept up a smile till Draco turned the corner, and started to run toward the Slytherin common room. She could still remember the way to the Slytherin common room vividly and-

Suddenly, Hermione stopped. She thought she felt an electric shock going through her. Frowning, she looked around. Nobody was in sight, besides Draco, who was staring open-mouthed at the corner, as a shadow swiftly disappeared…or did Hermione imagine it? She shuddered. _I do hope Draco's all right,_ Hermione thought, but she decided that the Draco clone could wait. She needed to get to Harry first.

She was relieved to run into the stone wall. "Damn Hogwarts!" she shouted, and stormed into the common room. There were only a few Slytherins remaining in Hogwarts for Christmas, and every single one of them turned to look at her with a sneer on their face.

"Yo, Malfoy's girlfriend's here?"

"Whatcha gonna do?"

Hermione ignored them. She held out her wand threateningly. "I can hex every single one of you," she said in a cold voice. "Where is Harry?"

"Leave him alone, will ya?" It's that same girl who'd delivered that note to Hermione so long ago. _When Harry and I are still best friends._

"I won't," said Hermione. "Go ahead. I'm waiting. Or would you like to grow feathers?" Fred and George had taught her that one.

"Left staircase, first room on the second landing," replied the same girl, but more subdued now.

"I thank you very much," Hermione said, running up the staircase to Harry's dorm. She made up her mind to threaten everyone out of the room if he wasn't alone.

Harry was, however, alone. She could tell, because even at the door she didn't hear anyone talking, and there was an eerie sort of silence. When she opened it a creak, she saw Harry reading a heavy book inside, facing her, his legs crossed. Taking a deep breath, Hermione slipped into the room and shut the door very quietly behind her.

Harry didn't look up, but she knew that he knew that she was there.

Hermione closed the distance between them and tapped him on the shoulder. "Harry," she said softly. "It's Hermione."

"Go away." The voice was icy.

Hermione bit her lips. "I really am sorry."

"Good. Go."

Hermione sighed and brandished the book. "Look," she said. "We're in danger." _What a dumb thing to say, Hermione._ "Um…gee, Harry, can't you just read the damn book?" She suddenly felt something overtaking her. _Oh God, counterpart, go AWAY!_

"No."

"You horrid, horrid creature!" shrieked Hermione so venomously that Harry looked up with a strange look in his green eyes. "You bastard! Who do you think you are? Sure, in the real world I can stand being ignored by you like this, being taken by granted by the boy who bloody lived, but here you are a nobody! Absolutely nobody!" Hermione was feeling angry, not at Harry, but at herself. Somehow she couldn't stop the words from pouring out. "You know what? It's fine if you never get out of this world. I'll be more than happy to see you trapped here forever. Perhaps there's something to thank Voldemort for after all, isn't it? Less people would've died if you'd died as a baby. Everyone will be happy without the Boy Who Fucking Lived!"

Hermione breathed. She had to get out of here before she said anything else. The look on Harry's face was devastating, a look of shock mingled with guilt and misery, but he didn't say anything. "I understand," he said softly. "I guess I should've known all along that you think I'm not worth it."

That killed Hermione more than anything. She tore out of the place like a madwoman, and all the Slytherins who'd heard just stared at her, too afraid to do anything.

It was only outside the common room that Hermione felt in control again, but she knew what the book had meant about disastrous results. _I really screwed it this time,_ she thought grimly. _If only Ron or Ginny are here! They can help me._

But they aren't. Hermione was all by herself.

She slumped against the hall, trying to keep the tears threatening to fall to herself. Everything seemed so hopeless.

Slowly, Hermione made her way back to the Gryffindor common room, her mind thankfully blank and devoid of emotions. It was only when she stopped at the Fat Lady's portrait that she realized she was at the wrong place. _How embarrassing,_ Hermione thought, turning to go.

"Hermione, you all right?"

Hermione jumped at the voice. It was Padma, wearing a smile on her face. _Wait…Gryffindor…_ Hermione felt vaguely relieved.

"Parvati? Is that you?"

The girl laughed. "Wrong again, Hermione. The second mistake you've made about my identity. I'm Parvati's twin sister."

Immediately, upon hearing this, Hermione backed away. "YOU!" she accused. "Did you…you don't belong here…you followed me here!"

The look on her face clearly confirmed her statement. "Did you enjoy your little bout with Potter?" she asked. "Your wonderful little counterpart did her job perfectly, didn't she? Judging from the look on your face."

"How do you know about it?" Hermione demanded.

Padma merely smiled.

"It was you all along, wasn't it? The pictures…Harry…and my counterpart."

Padma looked at the book in her arms. "Oh yes, Hermione, that was me all right. I'm rather proud to announce it."

"But-but _why_? What did Harry ever do to you?"

"It's not Harry I'm working against, although it is a nice bonus. It's you."

"Wh-" Hermione started to protest.

"Hermione, Hermione." Padma shook her head. "Hermione, imagine someone like me, who has only a beautiful face but otherwise nothing at all. Even my sister Parvati has far more than what I have. She's in Gryffindor. She's near the almighty Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley and…you, Hermione Granger, the brain of the school. Now, how should I feel toward you? Respect? Awe? Or envy."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "I never did anything to you."

"Remember the Yule Ball? How Ron absolutely shunned me because he was so stunned by your…let me cough…beauty?"

Hermione bit her lips. She was about to answer when… "Yule Ball? This make-believe world…that's not possible." She shook her head. Everything was too confusing. "No, this is wrong. Absolutely wrong!" She pointed at her. "Ron…he's in Hufflepuff! I'm in Ravenclaw…he doesn't even know me…"

"Ron's in Gryffindor," corrected Padma quietly. "I thought you know that."

"But-" Hermione shook her head. "But…_you_ are the one who said that all the Weasleys are in Hufflepuff…"

"Ron, you, and of course, our dear Potter, are all in Gryffindor, Hermione. This is a make-believe world, did you forget?"

Hermione gasped. "Then-"

"Oh yes, I'm transported from your world too. I'm a Death Eater, dear Hermione. And I'm proud to do this job assigned to me." Padma smirked. "Now, where were we? Oh, of course. Well, I actually thought I was pretty and enough to give quite a few boys erections…to pine after me, but no, the chipmunk Granger just had to grab his attention. I've hated you ever since then, Hermione. You and Ron-"

"But we aren't a couple!" Hermione shouted.

"You loved each other, and dated, didn't you? You don't even like Ron now, so how dare you-"

Hermione couldn't believe any of this. "Let me guess. This isn't about Ron at all."

"Right. Not all. I'm jealous of your perfect life. And now what? You smooching Potter? Am I glad he dumped you!"

"Is Harry…counterpart…?"

"No." Padma shook her head. "He's the real thing. You weren't supposed to be here, that's for sure. The counterpart you was supposed to love him and then destroy him, but with you, it's all the better, isn't it? You love Potter so much more than the counterpart could. Too bad I awoke the other Hermione at the right time. Now I think that either he hates you or thinks you're some counterpart. Either is applicable."

"_You_ cast spell today, didn't you_!_"

"Actually, it wasn't me. It's my very best friend. Want to know who my friend is?"

Footsteps sounded behind Hermione before she could ask for the identity of that "very best friend". _Good. A Gryffindor returning from the snowball fight. Maybe he or she can help._ Both she and Padma looked apprehensively at the corner, and saw it was Draco who turned, grinning and covered with snow. When he saw Hermione and Padma, his gray eyes flickered. "What are you doing here?"

Hermione wasn't sure who he was addressing.

"Draco! Help! Padma…she's dangerous…you won't know, but she's dangerous…"

Both Draco and Padma started to laugh. "Hermione, not so smart now, are you?" Draco said. "Did you really fall for my cutie boy charming trick?"

_"What?"_ This was too much.

Padma put an arm around Draco. "C'mon, Hermione, put two and two together. If I didn't do the spell to awake the counterpart, who did?"

"Draco did?" Hermione's mouth fell open. But it fit together. Draco met her…and when she turned to see who'd given her that electrical shock, there was Draco…Draco pretending he liked her so that Hermione won't ever suspect him…Draco popping in at all these times…Draco going to snowball fights when he's probably scheming the next move with Padma…_Malfoy_ the bastard, the ferret, who hated her and her friends so… "Malfoy!" she spat the name with disgust. "Don't tell me. You…you're the same bastard I remember."

"That's right, Mudblood." Malfoy's eyes darkened. "_Stupefy!_"

**_~*~_**

****

"The final phase is done…" came a voice that seemed to drift from far off.

Hermione blinked and sat up with a start, her head throbbing. She looked around. She was in a very large chamber, made of solid material like marble on all four sides. She was lying in the corner with cords tied around her, and diagonally across the other room were Malfoy and Padma, talking in not-so-low voices. There was not a door in sight.

"All right, then. Give me the Portkey. I'll go and report this to the Lord."

"Excuse me? Shouldn't _I_ get the Portkey?"

Padma was holding a strange looking object that seemed to be the Portkey they were fighting over. _Maybe they're so preoccupied they won't notice if I escape,_ Hermione thought hopefully, reaching into the pocket of her robes for her wand. It wasn't there.

Hermione looked around carefully. Her wand had to be somewhere. And then she saw it, in Padma's hand, the same hand she was using to hold the Portkey. Breathlessly, Hermione watched, as Malfoy made a wild grab for the Portkey. Her wand clattered to the floor.

"I did most of the work here, Malfoy! You hardly did anything."

"What did you do? Take pictures? Please, I took some too! I did more than you! I'm the one who had to earn Mudblood's trust-"

"As if I didn't?"

Hermione knew that it was her chance to get her wand. She remembered that in her sixth year, when she, along with Harry and Ron, were picked for the Order of the Phoenix, they had taught them some simple wandless magic. Very simple, but it included the Summoning Charm. Hermione decided to try that, even though she hadn't used that for a while. She slowly turned, so that her palm was facing her wand, and concentrated. _"Accio wand…_"

"The Lord favors me, all right? My dad's his right hand man…"

"Get off it! I did all the work. Why else did he give the key to me?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

_"Accio wand…_"

The wand rolled a bit, and narrowly avoided being stepped on by Malfoy as he pinned Padma against the wall, finally getting the Portkey.

"YOU!" shouted Padma, whipping her wand out to point at Malfoy.

The wand started to come closer to Hermione.

"I'm a better dueler. Must I prove it to you? Stay here with Mudblood and soon enough, the Lord will take you back with him. He's here too, you know."

_Voldemort is here?_ Hermione's wand flew into her hand. She breathed a sigh of relief and quickly muttered a charm to get the cords off of her. Malfoy and Padma were positively ready to duel for the Portkey, and Hermione had the feeling that the Portkey was a hoax. Firstly, a Portkey can be shared, and secondly, the book specifically said that there was no known way to get out of make believe worlds. "STUPEFY MAXIMUS!" she shouted, pointing her wand at Malfoy and Padma.

Both of them slumped over on the chamber's floor.

Hermione sighed with relief and started to look around the chamber, trying to find a way out. When she couldn't, she went over to Padma. _"Imperio,_" she said. People could perform the Unforgivables on Death Eaters, and besides, nobody would know. "_Enervate._"

Padma sat up, her eyes blank. "Tell me the truth," Hermione said. Padma nodded. "How do I get out of here?"

"Tap the wall behind you three times. A door should appear."

Hermione was about to do that when she realized that she could get a lot of answers this way. _Why not?_ "Why does Voldemort want Harry here?" she asked.

"Psychological trap. Harry is the disliked one in the school here, and sooner or later, complete with dark spells, he would be trapped within himself." Hermione's blood chilled. "If that happens, it's pretty much like a Dementor's Kiss. Usually there's no cure."

"Then…that's why we're in different houses?"

"Yes."

"Why fifth years, then? Isn't first years easier?"

"There's the Sorcerer's Stone in the first year, the diary in the second, Sirius Black in the third, and the Yule Ball in the fourth. The fifth is the next youngest."

"There isn't a way to break the spell?"

"The Lord has given me the Portkey."

Hermione looked skeptically at the Portkey. _Forget it. You need to get Harry before Voldemort works out the spell._ "Who is Voldemort in this world?" she asked. "Is he…in Hogwarts?"

"Not even I know that."

"Where is Harry?"

"Astronomy Tower."

"Why?"

"The tallest, so you can push his body off the tower."

"NO cure? You sure there's no cure for this curse?"

Padma shrugged. "Not that I know of."

Hermione jumped up. "How do I get to the Astronomy Tower from here?"

"Turn right three times, and keep on running."

"Gee, thanks." Hermione rolled her eyes. "STUPEFY!" Padma fell over again. Hermione pushed her and Malfoy together and tied them with cords. She would worry about them later. She tapped the wall behind her three times. A door appeared. Hermione yanked it open and ran blindly to the right, turning three times, and ran down the familiar corridor to the Astronomy Tower.

She passed the Astronomy classroom, and up to the tower. The window, where she and Harry had seen Norbert off. She saw Harry sitting there, as if looking out, reminiscing about the past. Hermione bit her lips. He didn't seem to be on the verge of jumping down, and Voldemort was nowhere in sight.

"Harry?"

There was no movement from Harry.

"It's…it's Hermione."

She would've expected some kind of movement, perhaps him whipping around to yell at her, but there was still no movement.

Hermione was starting to get a bad feeling about this. She lightly put her hands on his shoulders, steadying him so he wouldn't fall, and almost let go in surprise. They were so cold…giving her this feeling she got when she was around the dementors…

_Oh gracious Merlin. He…he didn't…he isn't trapped within himself…!_ Hermione pulled Harry's body. It felt surprisingly light, as if it were just a hollow shell. She forced him to turn around, and nearly jumped back in surprise. This was not Harry Potter she was holding; it was a dummy.

"What…what on earth?" Hermione gasped. _Then where the heck is Harry?_

"Her…Hermione?"

Hermione turned around. She was afraid that it was a dummy again, but it was Harry, coming up the stairs with a perplexed look on his face. "Um, Hermione…I guess I should apologize-"

Hermione didn't give him a chance. She gave a squeal of delight, quite unlike her usual reserved self, and flung her arms around him. Harry stumbled back a few steps at the sudden impact, but he hugged her back as hard as Hermione was hugging him. When she let go, she saw that he had tears in his eyes. "Hermione…I'm really sorry…I was just mad…I didn't think…" He sighed. "I was reading a book on the make-believe worlds too…and that was when I thought…the counterpart?"

"I'm really sorry. I was a fool." Hermione looked down. "I mean…well, I didn't mean any of the things I said, okay? And I forgive you, for whatever you were apologizing for at first-"

"Oh. I guess I was being mean?'

Hermione shook her head. "Not at all, considering what…what Hermione did."

_The spell wouldn't work now, would it?_ Harry smiled slightly, and Hermione hugged him again. And then, she raised her head and plastered her lips to his, of which time everything was forgotten. They had never kissed so hard and so passionately before. Harry's hand ran down her spine, giving Hermione shivers, as she ran her own hand through his hair, making them stand up messily even more. But before they could get any further, they both remembered something.

"Why did you come here?" they asked at the same time.

Harry held up a note. "Someone…someone told me to meet him here," he said. Hermione took the note and looked at it. _Meet me at Astronomy Tower—T.R._ "Why are you here?"

"Because…" and pointing at the dummy, Hermione told Harry the whole story. By the end, Harry's face was so pale that it made the snow outside gray by comparison.

"Voldemort…is here? The spell to trap me within myself?"

Hermione nodded. And then it struck her. "T.R.! Harry…_Tom Riddle!_"

"Then…oh Merlin…he must've wanted to put the spell…the curse…whatever it was…he must've wanted to finish me off here! But the dummy?"

"It was supposed to be a decoy, but a bad timing on my part."

The familiar cold voice of Voldemort made both Harry and Hermione jump. There was no question who the speaker was, for Harry had sank to his knees, his hand on his scar, struggling to stand up again. Hermione kneeled down beside him, taking his free hand, squeezing it reassuringly, and turned up to see…

Albus Dumbledore, his scarlet eyes blazing.

**A/N:** Cliffhangers are fun, fun, fun! *gets pelted by tomatoes* I mean…they're…cough…er…evil. Yeah, that's right. Evil. I'm sorry. I just had to stop here or this chapter will go on forever. Forgive me, won't you? *puppy eyes* 

There're only around two to three chapters left, and I promise, none of those endings are cliffies…. And as for Evil!Draco…I'm a D/G, and usually I would've made him a good guy, but I didn't want to develop any other canon characters or make up an OC, and I love Ron and Ginny too much, so I'm sorry, he's the evil one in this. I did plan a sequel in which he would be redeemed, but there's no time, so he stays evil! Ha! *hides form Draco lovers*

Drop a few reviews, please?

**~Katrina**

**_Thanks to all my incredibly wonderful reviewers!_**

****

**FlowerBySea-**the ending will be here in three chaps…unless I combine chapters again, which I think I'll have to.

**Blackheart Syaoran**-I know! Really sorry. I realized it after I posted the chapter, but I was in a hurry. As you can see, the document for chapter 8 is very messed up. Thanks for overlooking it! *blushes still at her mistake* Oh, I think there's an interview saying that Flitwick is the Ravenclaw house's head. But it makes sense, see? There are four main professors, and three of them are heads of the other three houses. Hmm…I read a Slytherin Hermione fic. I'll see if I can find any Ravenclaw Hermione fics.

**Violet Princess-**aww thanks!

**hpdancer92-**they probably won't get married in this fic, but yes, they'll get back. That'll happen…soon, I hope.

**Mel-**don't worry, they will, because I believe in happy endings.

**Alexial-**now you find out…Draco! How they'll get out? Wait for the next two chapters.

**Brazilianfan-**thanks very much.

**ChristinaLupin01442-**I'll be sure to check it out. The title sounds cool.

**TaioraCrazedGirl-**it's not really a cliffie…*shamed* see I updated! =)

**Hien-**Where I get my ideas…I really don't know. *ponders* Hmm…I think I get them from reading other fictions. I know I got this idea from reading a fic. Anyway, I bet you're a great writer, just undiscovered for now.

**Cay-**you're right! *confetti*

**Sunny-**aww thanks!

**VMorticia-**hope I'll see you again soon then! You follow this? Yeah! =) And you bookmarked it? Wow! *pleased and blushing*

**NO NAME-**ooh thanks!

**andrea perez-**that's okay. You reviewed anyway! =D Anyway, I promise lots of H/Hr in the last chapter, okay?

**ear91-**you happy now? =) I never liked D/Hr as much as H/Hr. The only reason why I made Draco so nice is…so you guys won't guess that he's evil!

**hgnhp4ever-**of course! Cool name!

**SimpleeDazed-**H/Hr together again…now let's just kick Voldemort off the set.

**Hermione Alanna Granger-**Time Turners confuse me, so I can't put that in here, but good idea. They'll return, I just haven't figured out a rational way yet. *chuckles at own stupidity*

**Cherrymist-**aww thanks! really flattered, I am!

**Lily Rose Evans-**here is your update!


	10. Last Chapter and Semi Epilogue

**Disclaimer: **I own absolutely nothing except for the plot.

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay. I'm truly, really sorry. I just managed to finish my D/G romance, so yeah… But hey, this is the final chapter, so no big loss here, right? =) I thank all my reviewers—you guys seriously rock! Like, REALLY. I hope this chapter, which is quite long and full of lame action, will be able to make up for the wait. The last part will be the semi-epilogue because I have no time before book five to write a sep. one. Right. On with the story, then. This chapter is horribly fragmented in some parts, because I just gathered up my notes and threw them together. Hope that's okay!__

The Magic of Love 

By: Katrina 

Chapter Ten/Semi-Epilogue 

**Magic of True Love**

Hermione gave a gasp. _Dumbledore was Voldemort in disguise the whole time?_ she thought in horror, remembering how she and Harry poured out almost everything back in Dumbledore's office. She stole a glance at Harry, whose eyes were blazing with hatred as he stared stoically back into the eyes of Voldemort.

"I'd imagined that the two of you would be a bit more intelligent," said the man before them airily. He raised his hand up to his face, and seemed to mutter something. When his hand came down again, the chalk-white face with the snake-like features Hermione had seen in her nightmares appeared. "It is an imaginary world, you know," he said. "So…really, it's not hard to make myself look like someone one day and then someone else again the very next day. I have to say, though, that being Albus Dumbledore has its own advantages." He examined his fingers lazily. "So, Potter, why so quiet? Haven't you recovered yet?"

"I knew it was you all along," said Harry, his breath ragged but his words solid. "Ever since that day in the office…I knew that the normal Dumbledore would never turn Hermione and I away like that. And I saw the way you were looking at me. It was a playful look, taunting even. And my scar was throbbing too. You should try a bit harder the next time you try to surprise us like that."

"Well said, well said, my dear nemesis," said Voldemort, not a bit fazed. "So you do prove a worthy opponent after all. Too bad you'll never leave this world, but disappointments-"

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione sharply, not caring that she was interrupting Voldemort, who was just in the middle of another taunting speech. But this was serious. Reading about not being able to get out of here on the book was one thing, but she'd always figured that if Voldemort had been the mastermind, then he would've always left a way out for himself. "There _is_ a way out." She searched her brain for something that would force out the truth. The Portkey. So what if it was a fake? Maybe she was wrong. "The Portkey you gave to Malfoy and Padma…"

"Oh, _that_," Voldemort dismissed it with a wave of his hand, scornfully. "That was to distract them, of course. And perhaps they can destroy each other before I'm forced to destroy this world, and them included. There isn't a way out, of course not. That is, there isn't a way out for you, but I can get out. You see, the geniuses always leave an escape route for themselves when conjuring up magic like this."

"Yeah?" Harry said. "How?"

"Since you're about to die, I don't see why you should die uninformed." Voldemort smirked. "You do remember that I have in reality two bodies. Voldemort, and the oh-beloved Tom Riddle in the diary." He drew out his wand and twirled it lazily. "If I can make a diary of myself when I was sixteen, and a damn good one at that, why can't I make a even better one now? Which is, of course, what I did. This diary of me is kept with my most faithful Death Eater, and when this world is destroyed, I have prepared a charm in which I will be resurrected from the diary. I was careful, then, to preserve my Voldemort form in the diary, and frankly, I believe I will be even more frightening when I reemerge from the diary."

Hermione thought fast. "How do you know if your Death Eater didn't just destroy the diary?" she asked.

"That Death Eater wouldn't dare," Voldemort said. "One of my most faithful, I should mention."

"Are you sure?" said Harry, catching onto what Hermione was attempting to do. "If Wormtail and Karkaroff can betray you, so can everyone else. And what is _your_ definition of faithful?"

"Wormtail has come back to me again, and Karkaroff is worse than dead." Voldemort shrugged off the definition of faithful. "But you can't possibly expect to carry this conversation with me the whole day. Stalling for time will hardly help you. In the end, you will perish. As I've said, I hate to have you two die uninformed. Anything else you'd like me to tell you before you join your parents? Oh, I'm sorry, they're in another world. How foolish of me."

_So he's going to kill Harry. He's not going to wait for the world to be destroyed. He wants to personally kill Harry?_ Hermione shook her head. _Then what's the stupid point of the Slytherin thing?_ "If you will kill Harry anyway, then what's the stupid point of putting him in Slytherin?" she demanded.

"Dear me, that's obvious. If Potter were in Gryffindor, then he'll be protected by everyone in the school, except for the Slytherins. It will be too hard to attempt anything funny. If he were in Slytherin, then that's a completely different story. He will be hated, which is good for me. I can torture Potter mentally and physically, and let him destroy himself in this world. As soon as that happens, the real world will have never heard of a Harry Potter. I would never have been defeated, and everyone will be happy." He laughed harshly. "As happy as they can be being refugees or dead, I must add."

"Christina…"

"Christina is the Death Eater keeping the diary. She is quite a pretty girl, isn't she? Which is why I gave her the mission of marrying you. What better time to destroy your world then at your own wedding?"

"You sick pervert!" Hermione cried out.

"Am I? I thank you for your kind words, oh but silly me. I don't thank Mudbloods."

"You're one yourself," Harry said. "The worst of both halves."

That did it. Voldemort's so-called "humor" was completely gone. "You'll pay for that, Potter," he said.

"Truth hurts, doesn't it?" retorted Harry.

"You'll hurt more, Potter." Voldemort flexed his fingers and made a sign to the doorway, where Malfoy and Padma appeared, very furious indeed that Hermione had Stunned them. "It's time for our new _Torture the Potter_ show to start."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Let's skip it," he said icily.

"No, no, no." Voldemort wagged his fingers at Harry. "That's not the way it works, little friend. Especially when you are the star of the show."

_Oh Christ._ Hermione made as if to go to Harry, but Padma quickly stepped to her side, while Malfoy grabbed her hands and tied them up nimbly. They didn't do anything else, however, but merely back her to the window and stood her there, one on each side of her. Harry was left in the middle of the room, proudly glaring Voldemort down, but next to him he looked frail and small. "Don't hurt her," he hissed.

"We won't, I promise," Voldemort said, still in that singsong voice. "She'll hurt herself, soon enough." He looked meaningfully at the window behind Hermione. _What on earth does Voldemort mean? _"And now, as for you." He stepped close to Harry. Harry stiffened, but did not back away. Hermione could see that he was mustering all of his courage to continue staring back into the humorless red orbs. Voldemort raised a hand and placed it on Harry's shoulder. Hermione bit her tongue, hard, when she saw Harry's eyes close in pain, his face nearly all scrunched up. Grinning widely, Voldemort put his wand and leaned the tip against Harry's scar. Hermione couldn't understand why Harry did not move at all, but he didn't. "Show time shall start right about now," announced Voldemort, and right after he softly chanted a few words.

As soon as the words left his lips, Harry fell back and hit against the wall with a sickening sound. Hermione closed her eyes, unable to watch anymore, but she could hear, with the echoes of the cold cackles, Harry's screams. It wasn't like Harry to scream. In fact, he'd never screamed in her presence; at least, Hermione could not remember of one time in which Harry had screamed in front of her. It tore at her heart, but she was too scared herself, and always afterwards she would curse herself for being such a coward.

When she finally opened her eyes again, she was surprised to find Voldemort and his two Death Eaters gone, leaving Harry and her alone. Harry was leaning against the wall, no longer screaming, but a deadened look about him. His cheeks were translucent almost, and he was muttering something. _Did Voldemort make Harry mad?_ Hermione wondered, edging closer to the boy and placing her hands on his shoulders. She expected him to flinch, but he didn't. He didn't even to be aware that she was there. "Harry? You all right?"

He said something, but Hermione doubted very much if that was the answer, and besides, she couldn't hear. "What?" she said, and leaned her head close to his lips so that she could hear what he was mumbling about. Hermione wasn't sure what happened exactly afterwards, but it felt as if she was pulled headlong into a kind of Pensieve, which she's only encountered once before, when she had the Order of the Phoenix trainings back in the real world.

It seemed to be nearly the same thing in this world, except this was no ordinary Pensieve, as Voldemort had a share in it. Hermione felt herself slam somewhere in a playground of an elementary school, where the loud chaos of voices brought her back to her senses. _I have to find Harry,_ she thought frantically, staggering to her feet, and looking around. Everybody around her was around six or seven, with the exception of two teachers, who were talking all the way across the playground, not watching the students at all; and the students were all gathered into one circle by an unspoken agreement, staring at someone.

Hermione suddenly had the most horrible feeling that she'd find Harry in the middle of the circle. "Harry!" she rasped out, but of course nobody could hear her. She stumbled over to the crowd, and as she was taller than everyone there, she could see clearly that a small figure was huddled inside. She didn't have to listen to the jeering voices of the crowd to know that a six or seven-year-old Harry was that little boy.

"Potter, go back to Mommy," said a six-year-old girl with huge pink bows in her golden hair. "We don't want you here." She was licking a lollipop with loud sucking sounds.

"Potter, get out!" laughed a blonde boy, who was probably the younger version of Harry's obnoxious cousin, Dudley Dursley.

The tiny figure raised his head, and Hermione's heart squeezed at the sight of tears pouring down little Harry's cheeks. She'd never seen Harry cry before, at least, he never showed it. Sometimes his eyes might be puffy or red, but he'd always say that it was an eye infection. But the sight of his large green eyes so miserable, staring into hers as if seeking help, that was more than Hermione could bear. Not caring that she was probably just some floating apparition in this place, she held out her hands to stroke Harry, but felt nothing, for the scenes suddenly shifted.

It was still at school, Hermione could tell, but everyone was a bit older. Perhaps nine or ten here. She was inside a classroom instead of out on the playground, and she could spot Harry in the corner. He was still skinny, and seemed to have barely grown much in the three-years' lapse. He was also very alone. And very much disliked as well. Harry had often mentioned that she and Ron were his first friends, but Hermione never thought it was this bad. _Is this what Voldemort's trying to do?_ She wondered, and decided that was probably true. Trapped within himself, that was what Padma said.

"Harry Potter!" called out the lady at the front of the room, who was probably the teacher.

Nine-year-old Harry stood up nervously to his feet, and jogged to the front of the room. "Yes, Miss Lorenzo?" he said politely to the teacher, who peered at him over her spectacles.

"A plus on your paper," she said doubtfully. "Did you cheat?" She shook another paper. "Yours and Dudley's are exactly the same."

Hermione closed her eyes. She knew what was coming. "But…" said Harry. Obviously he could not accuse his cousin of anything, but Hermione knew that Harry was more likely the true writer of the paper. His lips quivered. "I didn't cheat, Miss Lorenzo."

"And so you say," she said, and right in front of him tore the paper in half.

"But…but…I stayed in the library for five days working on it…" was the broken whisper.

This was too much. There must be a way to stop this whole nonsense. There were more and more scenes, each more tormenting than the ones before. There was no physical torture, to Hermione's great relief, but the mental pain of everything seemed even worse. Every time she tried to reach for Harry, to try and help him out of this, the scenes would shift and she would find herself far, far away from Harry again. To her utmost horror, she was involved in some of the scenes too. Her screaming at Harry…her betraying Harry…

"Harry!" Hermione shouted. "Harry, it's me. I'm sorry."

But all Harry could hear were her words, her counterpart's words, perhaps, but sounding like and from Hermione Granger all the same.

"You sick pervert!" she shrieked, hoping that Voldemort would take something out on her instead of Harry. "You sick, sick pervert!" In Hermione's mind, she was running a dictionary of all the words her mother taught her to never say. "You fucking bastard! You…" And then she was silent. She found herself back in the Astronomy Tower, with Harry next to her, in the same position as before. He was still muttering, his eyes open and full of fear. He was seeing all the horrible things from the past, and perhaps those Voldemort had made out to be the future as well. "Oh Christ, Harry…" whispered Hermione, reaching for his hands. They were cold, clammy. They felt like rubber. They didn't feel alive at all. Hermione suddenly had the horrifying thought that Harry was perhaps dead. Perhaps he was really dead and this was some robot. "Harry…"

He stayed like that, and kept on muttering. Hermione bit her lips. _What on earth am I supposed to do?_ She demanded of herself. Suddenly, Harry made a sudden movement, and stood up. Hermione stood up with him, and watched as he headed toward the window. _No, he's not going to jump out,_ Hermione thought, but remembered again what Padma had said. Dead body. Push him off the tallest tower. _And to add to the whole sick fun of it, he's making Harry do it himself._ "Don't," she shouted, darting in front of him and holding out her arms. "Don't…please…"

Harry grabbed her arms brashly as if to throw her to the side. Hermione stood her ground, and forced her arms around Harry's, so that he could not move. He struggled under her arms, but Hermione held on fast, biting her lips and using as much strength as she could muster. He felt so limp. It was unlike what she was so used to hugging. _There's no cure,_ Hermione thought, but gritted her teeth. _As it happens, in my world, there is!_ "Harry, I don't care if the whole world turns its back on you," she whispered, "because you know what? No matter what you are, I like the soul you have inside. I love you, Harry Potter. I don't give a damn that you had some legendary scar or that you are a hell of a Quidditch player. You are just a boy…sweet, kind…and you're also the one I love."

Harry turned around to face her, his face completely blank. Hermione thought it had worked, but after the pause he continued right on. At least, he would've, had Hermione not plastered her lips against his, kissing it tightly. Harry struggled about, trying to push her off, but Hermione held on. Something was boiling inside of her. Pure hatred for Voldemort, Malfoy, and Padma for making Harry so miserable…he didn't want any of this. And anger at herself for being such an unsuspecting pawn…and also, love for Harry. She'd never loved any boy as much as she'd loved Harry. It was a feeling that she would die for him without remorse, that he meant everything to her, that he was a part of her. She closed her eyes, remembering the boy who had come to her aid in her first year, who had been close to her ever since his fifth, and whom confided everything in her. She could see his eyes, gleaming mischievously, as he gave her a dancing lipstick for Valentine's Day as a prank, and how she had unconsciously fingered it, and then held it to her heart. Hermione was not going to let that boy disappear.

As she was thinking those things, she felt something powerful surge through her blood, till she felt a sense of absolute power she'd never felt before. Hermione gripped Harry's arms tighter, willing to transfer some of the power to him, and as she did so, she felt Harry's cold body warming up, till he stopped struggling. Hermione opened her eyes. Harry's eyes were closed, his scar glowing, and an unseen source of wind blowing at his hair. The wind blew harder, and whirled around Harry so quick that Hermione lost sight of him in the blur. Hermione was sure that she was indeed transferring her power to him by just being so close to him, but she didn't feel weak, not at all. She felt strong, powerful, as if she held both Harry and her own fate in her hand. At that moment, Hermione thought she experienced true magic. Not limited by a wand, or an incantation even, but the kind to come from your heart. Perhaps the kind Lily Potter used to save her son.

Slowly, everything abated. The magic around her seemed to have done its job, and slowly disappeared. Harry opened his eyes, which were no longer soulless spheres, but the same ones Hermione had seen gazing back at her so many times. She smiled at him. "Harry?"

"I love you," he said, and collapsed, unconscious.

Hermione caught him, gathering him up in her arms, knowing that he was fine. She breathed a sigh of relief, but she could rejoice, she heard faint footsteps heading here. She didn't want to know who they belonged to. Nobody in this world is an ally. She needed to get out.

"Where the hell are they?"

"I don't know."

"Master isn't gonna be happy."

"You tell me? What's your point?"

Hermione hugged Harry tighter to herself as she squatted near the marble statue of the reindeer, breathlessly waiting for the two students, definitely not Malfoy and Padma, to pass. It had not taken her long to figure out that the whole school, due to Voldemort's clever plan, had turned against them, and were ordered to search for them as soon as he found that Harry and Hermione had disappeared.

Hermione reached up and made sure that the cloak covered them securely. After Harry had fainted, she decided that there must be a place in this world that was like a bridge between this and the real world. She didn't know why she thought that that was the case, but from the way Voldemort was saying it, it seemed that there was a way out of the world. Portkey-less. She was determined to find that portal, and meanwhile, she and Harry needed to stay alive. She Summoned the Invisibility Cloak as she tried to gather her thoughts—luckily the cloak came rather swiftly, covered Harry and herself up securely with it, and transfigured a few paintings into ropes so they could climb down from the Astronomy Tower, which wasn't the most romantic and easiest thing to do.

Upon reaching the ground, Hermione saw that the grounds were swamped with students. They looked different now. Sinister. All having identical evil goals. Wands out. Searchingly scanning the whole area. A student almost bumped into Harry and Hermione, but Hermione pulled Harry down at the last moment. It wasn't a game of hide-and-seek now, and Hermione had never been good at it. It was only when she threw a Firework Hex to the direction of the Forbidden Forest that she managed to have enough time to escape out to this statue, where Harry and Ron had spent their Yule Ball at.

And now Hermione could only wait there. It's simply impossible to get out of this place with all the students around. Someone would feel them, and sooner or later Voldemort would figure out what's been keeping the two alive. _There's got to be some way out!_ Hermione thought frantically, wishing that Harry would wake up. She felt so desperately alone. So alone. _That's the way it happens in books…the heroes win!_

It was starting to get stifling hot. Hermione breathed deeply and tried to calm herself down. She shouldn't panic. Harry needed her. Then, Hermione made a sudden decision, a decision so sudden that later she never did know what came over her. All she knew was that something needed to be done rather than sitting there, hiding. Hermione peeked out slightly, making sure that the coast was relatively clear before she laid Harry down, covering him more securely with the cloak, and slowly brushed the cloak off from herself. _Take care, Harry,_ she thought, looking at the place where Harry would be tenderly. She slowly stood up. _You want to find me, Voldemort, so here I come._

As expected, it didn't take long for a student to see her. Hermione managed to fake it to look as if she was just running randomly, trying not to give away where Harry would be, and making a racket when she was far enough from the fountain. Needless to say, she was soon surrounded by those zombie-like kids. A girl whom she vaguely recognized as a Susan Bones—pardon, pseudo Susan Bones, who was apparently the leader of this particular search crew, grinned triumphantly as she shot cords out of her wand and tied Hermione's hands. "No good to hide, Granger," she said icily, pushing Hermione toward two boys whom she didn't recognize. "Take her to the Master."

Hermione assumed an expression of impassiveness as the two boys along with the rest of the group followed them to the castle. They entered through a door that definitely had never been at the normal Hogwarts, leading to a corridor which was somewhat familiar. Hermione tried to concentrate on trying to recall why the corridor seemed familiar rather than contemplating her fate. She just hoped that nobody would think to use some Truth Potion on her to figure out where Harry was, or that Voldemort wouldn't give an order to rip the school apart. _Hardly likely,_ she realized, but quenched it. She would fight for every second.

By then, many of the pseudo Death Eaters had stopped at the corners as if on guard. She was nearing wherever the Master was. Finally, they stopped, not in front of a dungeon built specifically for Voldemort, but a…_bathroom_? A very depressing and misused bathroom, at that. Hermione positively stared at the boys. "This is a girl's bathroom," she said, her mind running fast. "You shouldn't come in here."

"We don't need to," said the first one, and gave her a push that sent Hermione stumbling inside, knocking against the floor. "Enjoy, Granger."

"We'll be back…to get your corpse," added the second as he roughly picked Hermione up and stood her against one of the cracked sinks, as they both left.

Fear gripped Hermione as she waited for Voldemort, not knowing what would happen. She knew that she'd been in this bathroom before, and something very horrible happened here, but her memories felt congested. She couldn't think; she was too scared and worried to keep a clear mind. _Oh, I hope Harry's fine,_ she thought. _I hope that Ron would stop being so slow and figure out a way to get us out. I hope that Dumbledore will figure out a way. I hope-_ There was a hissing sound, and suddenly she was plunged headlong into a tunnel that appeared out of nowhere, where the sink should've been. Down Hermione went, eyes shut tight, and muttering Harry's name all along, till she landed heavily onto a pile of bones. It was too painful to move, but still she flinched when she felt cold hands pick her up to a kneeling position. Voldemort had landed just after her, and he was looking at her with a smug look on his face that reminded Hermione of Percy Weasley, although in a very negative way.

"Hermione Granger," came that soft voice. "How nice to see that you're here, realizing that running away from me is of no avail. Too bad your lover isn't here with you to give in."

Hermione was silent. She bowed her head slightly, her neck cramping horribly. She tried to fish her wand out from her pocket, but the cords were tied so tightly about her hands that circulation was very nearly cut off.

"Tell me now…" said Voldemort, circling her slowly. "Where is Potter? Or must I subject you to the horror of the Chamber?"

_The Chamber of Secrets!_ Hermione cursed at herself for being so slow. What had she been thinking? She felt very helpless, but she wasn't about to say anything that would help Voldemort. "I won't tell you, and you can't do anything about it."

"Can't I, now…" Hermione felt a well aimed kick from behind and fell on her face, hard, feeling a cut on her cheek, bleeding freely, the blood tasting salty in her mouth. She closed her eyes and winced slightly. She was no heroine, and certainly she could not keep up the indifferent act. "We'll see about that," said Voldemort. "Won't we, my dear? Potter's under my spell, and I can summon him easily. But since you won't help me, I'll have the satisfaction of seeing your face as he murders you."

Hermione spat. "Curse my ass!" she said in a raspy voice, turning her head so she could breathe easier. "He's no longer under your curse. He's very safe and very fine right now! Try and summon him."

The look on his face was priceless, but Hermione soon paid for her enjoyment as Voldemort, placing his foot under her, flipped her forcefully on her back. "Don't get smart-mouthed, Mudblood," he said.

Hermione felt sharp shards of cracked bones pressing into her. But, to her surprise and ecstasy, the friction of the shards against the cords seemed to have loosened them a bit. She groped, and found, a glass shard, and started brushing it against the cords, hard, while trying to appear nonchalant. "So, _if_ I tell you where Harry is, will you send me back to the real world?"

"Welcome to the circle of Death Eaters," said Voldemort. "Where is the Potter boy, then?"

The cords loosened considerably; Hermione could feel it, as she faked a look of concentration. She squirmed slightly, reaching for her wand, as she said, "Down in the Forbidden Forest."

Voldemort smiled crookedly. He leaned down just as Hermione closed her fingers around her wand. "Thank you…" he said, breathing his rancid breath on her face. "Thank you…FOR LYING!"

He stomped down hard on Hermione's stomach just as she jerked aside. Voldemort got her foot, and crunched it hard, and might've very well sprained it. Hermione ignored the pain, as she pulled away with superhuman strength. "EXPELLIARMUS!" she shrieked, performing the Disarming Spell, temporarily free. Voldemort stumbled backwards as he released her, and seemed to be in a shock. Hermione quickly looked around, remembering what Harry had said of his adventure with Ron and Ginny down in the chamber. Fawkes had carried them out of this place, but there wasn't a phoenix in sight. Hermione groaned. She needed time and concentration to transfigure a bone into a broomstick or place Flying Charms on something in this place if she was to get out, but she didn't have either of these. Meanwhile, Voldemort, having regained his posture, was now glancing murderously at Hermione. "Mudblood, you shall pa-"

Hermione threw another curse at him, while limping to the other side. She came upon the doors Harry described that wouldn't open unless she was a Parselmouth. Never mind that she wasn't! "AVADA KEDAVRA!" she shouted, hoping her training was enough to perform this curse.

Voldemort's robes ripped by the force of the curse, but he remained alive. He cackled at Hermione's dismay, written clearly on her face. "Let me show you the real way," he said, and Hermione narrowly dodged the green light that shot toward her.

She crashed into the skull of an unknown animal on the floor, her side splitting with raw pain as she knocked against the wall. _I'm not Harry, and I can't beat him!_ she shrieked at herself. Her wand was thrown somewhere else, and she was defenseless. The end was near. Voldemort was really grinning now. He pointed his wand at her. Hermione tried to shift, but she felt paralyzed. She could only watch as the green light sailed toward her a second time, taking comfort in the fact that Harry was safe.

BAM!

A red light collided with the Killing Curse, resulting in an explosion. Hermione coughed as dusts and smoke flew toward her, and squinting through the smoke, she saw Harry. _Quit hallucinating,_ she commanded herself, although the view brought her relief. But as the view cleared, it was most definitely Harry James Potter, looking fatigued but standing his ground, Hermione's wand in one hand, and the other pointing his own at Voldemort.

"Harry!" Hermione choked out, suddenly regaining her strength. She got up wobbly to her feet. Harry rushed toward her and gathered her up in his arms, Hermione sobbing with relief and anxiety.

"You silly girl…what were you thinking?" he asked, and suddenly kissed her fiercely. Hermione was too tired to kiss back, but she embraced him as firmly as her strength would allow.

Hermione saw a curse shooting toward them, and pushed both Harry and herself out of the way. She grabbed her wand and scrambled to her feet, yelling all the curses and hexes she'd ever heard of at Voldemort. Harry was beside her now, and she felt stronger. Braver. She truly felt like a Gryffindor now.

"The more the merrier," Voldemort said, deflecting all the hexes. "Kind of you to finally join us. Your Mudblood girlfriend isn't doing so well."

"And you're going to pay," said Harry. Then he did the oddest thing. He closed his eyes, pointing the wand at Voldemort, and started to mutter something. Hermione didn't know what he was saying—it didn't sound like anything she's heard of—but it was most definitely the incantation for quite a powerful spell, seeing the way he was saying each syllable. Voldemort realized the same, but Hermione shot a Stunning Spell, which made him stumble back.

_Oh, Harry, I do hope you know what you're doing,_ begged Hermione silently. Voldemort had lost his interest in her, and was watching Harry closely as well, his red eyes narrowed. From above, Hermione could sense that Death Eaters were coming to aid their master. Definitely not good. Then, to her surprise, Harry took her hand, still repeating the incantation. Hermione felt power drain out of her and plant itself in Harry. She felt again the same magic she'd felt with Harry in Astronomy Tower, but it was so much stronger now. Harry was glowing with a celestial light as he spoke the incantation for the last time, and he fixed his green eyes on Voldemort.

"Goodbye," he said.

An earthquake shook the room. Different beams of light crisscrossed each other, beating each other to get to Voldemort. Hermione didn't have time to ask Harry anything. He was dragging her as far from the lights as he could, and wrapped his arms about Hermione as several explosions followed. "What's going on?" Hermione demanded.

"The strongest Auror Charm I know of, but powered up by you," he answered.

"By me?"

Harry hugged her closer. "By your love."

Hermione smiled slightly. "Glad to be of service, then," she said. "So…is this spell gonna destroy Voldemort?"

"No, but I think it's enough to pull him from his pseudo-self into the real world. There's a chance that we may get back if such is the case."

"Oh." Harry always thought of everything. "So…how did you come here?"

"When I woke up, and you weren't there, I figured something's wrong," said Harry, peering to see how the spell was working. "Then I heard people talking, and realized that you were captured. I had to come and help you. And since I know where the Chamber is, and someone stupidly revealed that you were in the Chamber of Secrets, I merely went to the bathroom, used my Parseltongue to get in, and the rest you knew." He kissed Hermione's forehead. "Why did you have to be so stupid? Look at you, you have cuts all over!"

Hermione looked at herself. Her robes were ripped in several places, exposing raw skin, and several places were bleeding, not to mention that practically every place on her body ached. But everything was going to be fine now. She knew it would. "Oh, I'm perfectly fine, I will live," said Hermione. "Isn't the spell-"

Harry pulled himself from the embrace. He stepped out into the foggy chamber, shouting, "Don't follow!" as he did so. Hermione started to stand up, but she decided that she didn't want to hinder Harry in anyway. So she stayed, craning to look at what was happening. There seemed to be talking. The explosions and the lights had ceased. She heard angry voices. And she could tell movements…

And everything became dark.

"Hermione…"

The voice drifted from afar. It was…it was Ginny's voice, sounding very worried. Hermione lay still, trying to recall the wonderful unreal events she'd just experienced. Everything came back to her. The chamber. The betrayal. The whole made up world. And finally, the wedding in which she was pulled from. _And now I'm waking up again,_ she thought. _Whether I've dreamed everything or did everything just happen, Harry's marrying another woman, and I'll be his cheering best friend._ She kept her eyes shut, not wanting to face reality.

"Oh, Hermione, you all right?" It was Ron this time.

_This is ridiculous. You have to open your eyes sometime._ Hermione gave a slight nod, opening her eyes very slowly. The first thing she saw…were two redheads. Ginny and Ron, side by side, looking at her with concern. "I'm okay," said Hermione. "Is…" She realized that she couldn't ask the question. "Is Harry?"

Ginny gave a slight chuckle. "You would know," she said.

"I would?" Hermione then realized that arms were wrapped around her tightly, and someone was in fact embracing her from behind. Slowly, she traced her fingers over the hands, callused, rough, but warm and comforting. Harry's hands. She sat up, untangling herself, avoiding the two Weasleys' laughing eyes as she did so. Harry was still unconscious, on the floor beside her. "Harry?"

Harry stirred, and sat up, yawning. "What happened?" he asked.

Hermione surveyed around the room. It was still St. Peter's Church. So they were back in the real world…if they'd ever left. The guests were all either sitting or standing, with a lot of Ministry and medical wizards about. In fact, five of each were bending over Harry, and one of them was waiting for Ginny and Ron to step away from Hermione. "What happened?" she asked, as she allowed the witch to fuss over her.

"You and Harry were getting married, and suddenly the Death Eaters attacked," Ginny said. "That's all."

"But…isn't it Christina?"

"Who's Christina?" Ron asked. "You don't mean the Death Eater, do you?"

"Huh?" Hermione was confused yet again. "You aren't making any sense."

"Oh, they are," said Harry, winking at Hermione. "They are."

Hermione started to say more, and she stopped herself in time. Who the hell cares who had married whom? The more important thing was, who is marrying who.

_Finis._

The end is really loose. This is a semi-epilogue. It's not exactly what happened afterwards, but it'll do. There'll be some differences, but overall it's a continuation of the Magic of Love.

**_Epilogue_**

**_Coming Back to Me_**

****

It was summer, yet again.

Hermione sat on the bank of the Hogwarts lake, her knees drawn up to her chest, and her arms wrapped snugly about them, feeling the warm wind blow her chestnut hair. It was so peaceful, the lake glistening, the looming castle behind her, and all the most beautiful sceneries stretched out far in front of her. It was completed by the beautiful azure-colored sky, with clouds drifting lazily, and perhaps a rainbow somewhere, or was it in Hermione's mind? Yet Hermione wasn't seeing any of this. In her mind, she was seeing the last time she and Harry were together. In the church, just after their wedding. Him, clasping her hands.

_"I am sorry, Hermione, but I must go. I hope you'll understand."_

And she had smiled up at him, taking his hands into hers, and holding them gently, her eyes gazing back into his with full understanding.

_"I won't, Harry, because I do understand. I understand perfectly. And I know that you'll come back to me, soon enough. In fact, you never would've left, because you live in my heart, Harry, and that's all that matters."_

_"Wait for me, then. I will come back."_

Hermione breathed in the fresh air, and smiled unconsciously. It had been a year, and sometimes the seconds seemed like years, and she would often stop in the middle of her lesson, pausing, and remembering all that had happened in the make-believe world. She would suddenly feel Harry's fingers lightly grazing her cheek, and felt a stirring inside of her, yearning for Harry.

Yet other times, when she was alone, and she could thin, she knew that Harry had never truly left. He was there, part of her, so closely integrated that she was Harry. Hermione could feel Harry during the night, remember his kisses, and there was never a dream where Harry wasn't included in some way.

The war was almost over, however, and Hermione knew that Harry should be coming home any moment now. Voldemort was defeated, true enough, but the Death Eaters were springing up everywhere, trying to stall their own respective leaders as the new Dark Lord. Thank God none of them was as able in the evil trades as Voldemort, or Hermione would never hope to see Harry by her side for long. Yet Ron had come home, and he had married Padma, his Hogwarts sweetheart; Ginny had come home, and she was in the midst of courting Colin. All of Hermione's friends who had been fighting in the war were back, and most of them were hurrying to regain the lost snogging sessions during the war.

All except for Harry.

"But you'll be back, Harry," Hermione said confidently, tenderly. "I know you'll be back. One day, you'll come back to me."

She stood up then, and heaved a soft sigh. It was Lavender and Seamus' wedding today, and she was one of the bridesmaids. _Can't miss that, can I?_ She thought with a fond grin as she thought of the Finnegan couple, and started toward the Great Hall, where the wedding would be taking place in the afternoon.

After the wedding, which had been a beautiful event, Hermione stepped outside the castle after chatting with the bride and groom for a few minutes. The sun was even brighter than it had been, and everything was festive. A lot of the old Hogwarts students had come back, many of them greeting her. Remus and Sirius made a special point to thank her again for everything she did for Harry.

But Hermione had never felt so alone. It was tearing at her heart. She needed Harry so badly. She needed him there, to touch her, to kiss her forehead, and to say that he loved her. Yes, she had the memories of Harry James Potter, but Hermione needed more. All around her, the sight of couples seemed to haunt her. She was happy for every single one of them, but she felt bitterness rising inside of her. _You could be part of that too,_ an unrelenting voice repeated again and again inside her head, and Hermione could not reproach it, because it spoke exactly what she'd felt. _I could be part of that, if the person I'm in love with isn't Harry Potter._

"Hermione?"

She turned her head, almost expecting to see Harry, but it was Ron. "Hey, Ron, why aren't you with Padma?" she asked, grinning at him.

"You've got to be kidding. She's gabbing with Lavender and Parvati like crazy." Ron's face held affection for his wife. "You all right?"

Hermione was quiet. "Yes, I suppose I am," she said softly. "You miss him as much as I do, Ron, and it isn't fair if…" Her voice trailed off. She shook her head. "You understand how I feel."

"No, I don't." Ron was grave. "I never kissed him. I never loved him the way you did. I see how you look every time…"

"Every time there's a wedding and I feel as if I want to strangle everyone?" Hermione shrugged. "Yes, that's part of how I feel."

"Well…"

"Don't worry about me, really," said Hermione earnestly. "He'll be back."

Ron's eyes seemed to have glazed over. Hermione frowned. Was he trying to cheer her up by pulling an antic? But his eyes soon lost their lost look and lit up, literally, as he headed quickly, past Hermione, and embraced a man who had just approached the two of them shyly.

Without even looking, Hermione knew that it was Harry. She felt the same sweetness creep up inside her when she felt his presence. She turned, barely able to believe it, as Harry and Ron thumped each other on the back and broke apart, words failing both of them. Harry looked thinner, but a lot more tanned. His hair was just as wild as always, and his cloak seemed worn. His glasses seemed to need a bit of mending again, but Hermione was more than glad to do that for him. But it was him. Him and his smile. Ron turned, spotted Hermione, and seemed to understand. He stepped back a few steps, and mumbling something, left, telling a few reporters and friends off to give the two of them some privacy.

"Harry…" It was a tearful whisper. Hermione's eyes stung. _God, it is really him._ Her heart pounded loudly in her chest. "Harry…"

Harry saw her. His face softened, and it made him look not twenty-two, not fifteen, but the eleven-year-old best friend Hermione had loved. "Hermione…" He didn't seem more capable of talking than Hermione. "Hermione…I…" He did not need to say further, for Hermione had stepped up to him and circled her arms around his neck.

"You're real, aren't you?" Hermione said quietly. "You aren't here to torture me?" She bit her lips, wanting to weep and break into hysterics at the same time. "You've come back to me?"

Harry nodded. "Yes," he choked out. "I've come back. I tried to come as fast as I could, but you weren't at home. And when I knew that the wedding was at Hogwarts…it's the first time I cursed this Apparition barrier. I couldn't get here sooner…"

"No, no, you're here now, Harry," said Hermione, and she didn't care as she saw the camera flashes out of the corner of her eyes. "And you're mine." She leaned closer. "I'll never let you leave me again."

Harry pulled her close. "I won't leave, I promise," he said, and bent down to give Hermione the long awaited kiss.

Hermione felt the thrills of the kiss searing through her body, as she and Harry nearly became one in the kiss. She could hear clapping, and perhaps catcalls. Yes, wasn't it the same thing she'd heard at Christina and Harry's pseudo-wedding? _But this time, it's for real,_ she thought, breaking the kiss just to gaze into Harry's beautiful emerald eyes. _This time, I can feel the magic of love._

**A/N:** NO! My H/Hr ending too! *grabs storeworth of tissues*

It's a bit fragmented, but I have to get it done.

There will be no sequel. I planned one, but the epilogue sealed it. So **no sequel**.

The wedding…if you think it's too abrupt, well, Harry and Hermione had been in life and death for so many years, they know each other, so it'll be a very happy marriage. Therefore, Harry and Hermione will live happily ever after…and as for kids, I'm too unoriginal to think up of any…I'll borrow my timeline from BOD—they'll have two daughters, Lily and Beth, and two sons, James and Sirius. There we go!

I really enjoyed writing this fic. I actually liked this better than my D/G, probably because this is my first present-day romance. I wouldn't have kept on writing if it weren't for you. It would've been dead. So I'm grateful to all of you. Though this fic is ultimately dedicated to my crush, I wrote **A Rainy Day's Romance**, a H/Hr ficlet, for you wonderful, wonderful reviewers. See? I love you!__

I don't want this A/N to EVER end, but I suppose it must. Book Five will be coming up, and I'll try to stay H/Hr, even if R/Hr and H/G or H/C happen. My AU H/Hr romance shall still stands (AU, after all!). I'll also write ficlets just to show Good Shippers and Orange Crushers off!

Oh, and if any of you wants to read other H/Hr before book V, check out my favorite stories' list. _The Art of Seduction_ is a very fluffy and romantic H/Hr that's definitely worth reading. Check it out!

See you then! I thank every single one of you, readers and reviewers alike, and I hope all will drop one last review for this chapter? Must go now. May edit A/N later.

**~with much love, Katrina**

Thanks to all my incredibly wonderful reviewers of chapter nine!

**Blackheart Syaoran-**thanks for forgiving me, and the only Ravenclaw Hermione fic I've heard of is MissMatched, which is thankfully H/Hr, but I've never actually read it through.

**mel-**I'm sorry that it's a update.

**SimpleeDazed-**yup, back together…and it's Voldemort, not Dumbledore! ;)

**SunnyDay-**yup…except he's Voldemort…=)

**Kat-**Voldemort in disguise, LoL!

**VMorticia-**thanks! I don't hate Draco, but I'm too lazy to drag another OC into this.

**Sunny-**Dumbledore's BAD, you see! ^^ Thanks for reviewing.

**ear91-**you're perfectly right.

**hpdancer92-**wow thanks!

**Sam-**oops.

**ChristinaLupin01442-**yup, you're right. Will read your story soon.

**andrea-**thank you.

**Alexial-**thanks, and sorry…the update took a while.

**RaistlinofMetallica-**=)****

**Amira Abu-Shawish-**noo…lol, I'm honored.

**Sarah-**really? I'm really glad!

**Heaven-**I post at Portkey under Katie. Thanks for reviewing my story.

**mysticangel_potter-**sorry it took so long!

**Star Mage-**I'm sorry it took so long.****

**thefly-**I'm so guilty now! Bad Katrina.

**harryhermione4ever-**you flatter me! Oh, and Harry doesn't know because 1. he thinks it's not important and 2. Voldemort lessens it. So yeah. And Hermione is dragged along because she loves Harry. Cheesy, I know.

**Devin Jamie Pickrell-**thanks for all your thoughtful and sweet reviews. I'm like so blushing when I read them.

**Theeph-**really? Wow, thank you soo much.

**Yanlira-**aiya I hope you aren't dead! Thanks for reviewing.

**Sushinase-**thanks, you sweetie.

**Lily Rose Evans-**it's ended…*surprised*

**FlowerBySea-**oh, I can never do it professionally, but thanks. =D

**Illia-**glad you think so.

**Violet Princess-**both. Padma became a Death Eater partly to get back at Hermione and ultimately Harry.

**harrys girl-**hey they even married!

**Dashara-**thanks.

**D.L.M. Gurls-**hope this is soon enough.


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